'Beating these guys is incredible': Widar reflects on surreal Guangxi triumph over Pidcock

Jarno Widar (Lotto-Intermarché) says it feels like he is "still in a dream and waiting to be woken up" after beating Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) to the Tour of Guangxi title by winning the final stage to take his first victories at WorldTour level.

The 20-year-old has enjoyed a standout end to his neo-pro season following his breakthrough victory at Tre Valli Varesine at the start of October, where he put Pidcock and Matteo Jorgenson to the sword in a three-man sprint. 

Widar backed this up with a 13th place on his Monument debut at Il Lombardia before making the trip to China in confident form, where he would once more come up against Pidcock. 

The GC contenders had to bide their time with the first five stages ending in bunch sprints. The overall was decided on the final stage with an uphill finish at Nong La, with Pidcock and Widar serving as the finale’s main protagonists.

Louis Barré (Visma | Lease a Bike) drew the duo out with an acceleration with around 400m remaining, before Pidcock countered over the top with 250m to go. 

However, Widar remained locked on the Briton’s wheel before powering past, opening a gap and powering to the second and third victories of his career in quick fashion.

"The climb suited me perfectly. The pace was already very high during the first two kilometres, but I was a bit too far back, boxed in behind the lead-out trains of other teams,” Widar said post-race.

“On the flatter section, I was able to move up, and I felt I still had something left in the tank. It turned into a battle of attrition. I knew Pidcock would accelerate about 300 meters from the finish. At the 150-meter mark, I felt it was time to go past him."

"It feels like I’m still in a dream and waiting to be woken up. It was always my dream to become a professional cyclist, but to have won two major races in the span of just a week and a half feels truly surreal,” he added.

His victories in China mark his first at WorldTour level, as he becomes the third Belgian male winner of the Tour of Guangxi following Tim Wellens in 2017 and his Lotto teammate Lennert Van Eetvelt in 2024.

“It’s my first victory at the WorldTour level, and to beat riders of that calibre again is just incredible,” Widar said. 

"To start with, there was the jet lag. But I really enjoyed this week. The team did a fantastic job, and I’m happy I could finish it off for them. Besides that, racing in China is always special. The scenery was beautiful, that really left an impression on me, too."

Widar also highlighted his Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a España as a key reason for his shining autumn form. He finished 23rd overall in Spain, having finished second on stage 4 in Andorra, where Tadej Pogačar romped to a 50km solo win. 

“We knew that I had come out of the Vuelta in good shape. After that, the Italian classics followed, and we wanted to perform as well as possible there. We prepared well for those races, which allowed me to carry my good form over to here in China.”

Being considered one of the biggest talents in the peloton, the 20-year-old has had to deal with plenty of pressure and expectation to win in the early stages of his career. Despite this, Widar was able to give himself a moment to let the significance of his recent achievements sink in. 

“A few years ago, when I was a junior, I would watch cycling on television. I saw riders like these winning stages in the Giro and the Tour de France, becoming Olympic champions in mountain biking, and winning other major races,” he said. 

“Back then, I was just a junior myself. Just the thought of ever being able to race against these guys felt fantastic. But to actually be able to beat them now, to take that step forward, is incredible.”