Development The Giro della Valle d'Aosta starts tomorrow and Jarno Widar looks ahead: "The last stop before the Tour de l'Avenir"

Jarno Widar says a weight has been lifted off his shoulders since he won the Giro Next Gen last month. "My season is already a success. There's nothing I absolutely have to do now." That doesn't mean he wants to take it easy this week in Italy. "The Giro Valle d'Aosta must be one of the toughest races for U23 riders. It's also one of the most important climbing races in our category. It's going to be a challenging week, that's for sure. The temperatures here are also climbing above 30 degrees. I can handle it quite well, but I don't enjoy it."

Widar doesn't feel like all eyes have been on him since the Giro Next Gen. "That was already somewhat the case before that pink jersey. This week, I want to focus on preparing for the Tour de l'Avenir. That's the most important race of the year for U23 riders. This is the last stop before that race, a bit like the Dauphiné or the Tour of Switzerland is before the Tour de France for the pros. I've made it a big goal, which is why I'll be racing a bit more cautiously here. I don't want to push past my limits. I also had a crash last weekend in the Giro dell'Appennino. I'm still feeling some general stiffness, and my hip still hurts, so we'll see how things go this week."

"However, as a team, we might be able to show something. The second stage is one for the sprinters. Maybe we can pilot Kamiel Eeman in a reduced group sprint. If we can get to the finish with 20 to 30 riders, we hope he can finish it off. But beyond that, we'll take it day by day this week."

Picture: Flèche Ardennaise