Jarno Widar reveals 2026 race schedule including first Grand Tour

Jarno Widar has revealed his provisional 2026 race program for his debut season as a full-time professional with the Lotto-Intermarché merger team, including several spring classics and a Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a España.

"Normally, I'll ride the Strade Bianche, La Flèche Wallonne, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the spring. Maybe the Amstel Gold Race too, but that depends on how I do after the Tour of the Basque Country. After that, the Vuelta a España will be my first Grand Tour, and I'll close the season with the Tour of Lombardy," said Widar to Het Laatste Nieuws about his first full professional season program.

The 20-year-old has been named ‘Belofte van het Jaar’ (Young Talent of the Year) for the second consecutive time, capping off a 2025 campaign that included winning the U23 European title, two stages at the Tour de l'Avenir, and a second-place finish in the general classification, behind Paul Seixas. 

Widar has progressed through the ranks of the Lotto Development Team in 2024 and 2025, confirming another successful delivery to the professional ranks, as the most prolific development team in terms of producing talent.

"I'm very happy with it. It's my second in a row, and it's always an honor to win a prize. It means I've done something good again this year," said Widar on receiving his trophy.

Widar's trophy cabinet grew considerably in 2025, with victories in the U23 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Flèche Ardennaise, a stage in the Giro d'Italia Next Gen and Circuit des Ardennes, a stage and the GC at the Ronde de l’Isard and three stage wins plus the overall victory in the Giro della Valle d'Aosta-Mont Blanc.

"I'm especially pleased that I've taken a huge step forward in terms of values. And fortunately, the results followed. I'm very happy with that. The most important thing for me is that I've seen progress in myself," said Widar.

While he considers the European Championships his biggest success, the young Belgian also cherishes his battles with Seixas at the Tour de l'Avenir. "The two-stage wins in the Tour de l'Avenir hit me really close. The battles I fought there with Paul Seixas... I've already rewatched that footage a few times because I love it so much."

Looking ahead to his first full professional season, Widar admitted that he is already satisfied with achieving his dream of reaching the professional ranks. "It's a dream come true. For me, it doesn't really matter what I achieve anymore, because when I was a little boy cycling around here, it was already a dream in itself to ride among the pros."

"I'm really looking forward to it—we can only dream and do our best. It's going to be a journey of discovery, isn't it? I'm very curious about that."