{"id":750463,"date":"2026-06-21T08:29:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T08:29:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/750463\/"},"modified":"2026-06-21T08:29:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T08:29:12","slug":"there-is-still-room-for-me-to-improve-all-i-can-do-is-become-the-best-version-of-myself-jarno-widar-remains-optimistic-despite-a-season-disrupted-by-setbacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/750463\/","title":{"rendered":"“There is still room for me to improve, all I can do is become the best version of myself”: Jarno Widar remains optimistic despite a season disrupted by setbacks"},"content":{"rendered":"


\nWhile Seixas announced himself among cycling\u2019s elite with victories and podium finishes in major races (he has already won seven times this season), Widar spent much of the spring on the sidelines. Illness first disrupted his preparation and forced him to miss key races, before a training crash led to a knee injury<\/a> that left him struggling for weeks.Reflecting on the growing gap between the two riders, Widar pointed out that their development has not followed exactly the same timeline. \u201cSeixas has been training seriously for a few years longer than I have,\u201d the 20-year-old explained in an interview to Het Nieuwsblad<\/a>. \u201cThere is still room for me to improve. At the same time, you never know how a body will develop. All I can do is become the best version of myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first signs of trouble appeared early in the season. Widar felt unusually weak during training and racing but initially believed it was simply a matter of lacking form. Medical tests later revealed that illness was playing a role, forcing him to miss several important races, including Strade Bianche.<\/p>\n

The setbacks did not end there. After a training crash, he developed a knee problem that left him facing weeks of uncertainty. Surgery was considered, but the team opted for a conservative approach and hoped rest would solve the issue. However, that was not the case.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was mentally difficult,\u201d Widar admitted. \u201cThere was plenty of frustration. But I could start training again at the beginning of May.\u201d<\/p>\n

The rise of Seixas has only strengthened his belief that he can eventually compete at the highest level. \u201cOf course it was not pleasant to see him win a race I had really wanted to ride [Fl\u00e8che Wallonne],\u201d he said. \u201cBut watching what he is doing also gives me confidence. I have beaten him in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n

Widar also revealed that his current power numbers are approaching the benchmarks of riders like Remco Evenepoel, who recently attracted attention after reports suggested he had recorded an estimated FTP of around 425 watts during altitude training, equivalent to roughly 6.5 watts per kilogram.<\/p>\n

According to Widar, his own figures are not far from that level. \u201cPower meters are not always equally accurate, and the body weight being used might not be exact,\u201d he cautioned. \u201cThe important difference is that Evenepoel has already proved those numbers in competition. I have not.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Belgian believes such values are increasingly becoming the minimum requirement for riders hoping to compete for overall victories in Grand Tours. \u201cIn my opinion, you probably need more than 6.5 watts per kilogram now to fight for the general classification in a Grand Tour,\u201d Widar suggested, adding that he believes Pogacar may even be capable of approaching seven watts per kilogram.<\/p>\n

\"Jarno<\/p>\n

Jarno Widar has had a difficult 2026 season<\/p>\n

No rush to define his future<\/p>\n

Despite the encouraging data and the widespread perception that he is destined to become a Grand Tour contender, Widar remains cautious about placing himself into a specific category too early in his career.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do not want to decide already that I am a Grand Tour rider,\u201d he said. \u201cI have never raced one, so I have no idea how my body will respond.\u201d<\/p>\n

That question could soon receive an answer. If his recovery continues as planned, Widar is expected to make his Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a later this season, with the Tour of Austria and Vuelta a Burgos likely to form part of his preparation.<\/p>\n

But for now, however, the Belgian is focusing on rebuilding his condition. \u201cMy ambition is straightforward,\u201d Widar concluded. \u201cI want to be as good as possible in every race.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" While Seixas announced himself among cycling\u2019s elite with victories and podium finishes in major races (he has…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":750464,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[569],"tags":[64,63,784,242827,242828,176605,85],"class_list":["post-750463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-cycling","tag-jarno-widar","tag-lotto-intermarche","tag-paul-seixas","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/750463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=750463"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/750463\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/750464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=750463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=750463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=750463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}