Widar pushes back at media after losing time in Vuelta: ‘You’re turning me into a GC rider’

The 20-year-old Belgian finished 39th on Friday, almost five minutes behind Tadej Pogačar. On paper, it looked like a difficult day but Widar saw it differently.

“I felt bad,” he said after the finish. “With five kilometres to go I was really suffering. I knew I wasn’t going to get a good result because there were still about twenty riders up the road, so I just let it go.”

The decision cost him several places in the overall standings. Widar dropped from 11th to 15th, but showed little concern about the time he had lost.

That, he argued, was entirely in line with what he and Lotto-Intermarché had said before the race. The Vuelta was never supposed to be about defending a position in the general classification.

“You’re the ones turning me into a GC rider,” Widar told reporters, including Sporza. “If you don’t want to believe me, that’s your problem.”

Expectations around Widar had grown after his strong opening week, particularly following his second place in Andorra on stage 4. His position near the top of the standings inevitably invited questions about whether his objectives had changed.

Widar, however, has continued to insist that the general classification is not part of his plans. He said he had already seen the debate developing on social media and appeared increasingly frustrated by the suggestion that losing time should be considered a setback.

“After that second place in Andorra I said I wasn’t here for the general classification,” he said. “Am I disappointed to lose time? No. I’m not here for GC, so I really don’t care.”