Top talents Jarno Widar (Lotto-Dsnty) and Jørgen Nordhagen (Visma | Lease a Bike Development) were unable to live up to their roles as favorites in the U23 version of the Tour of Lombardy. Both riders finished in the same group, nearly five minutes behind the winner, Frenchman Brieuc Rolland, who will turn pro with Groupama-FDJ for the next two years.
The disappointing performances of both riders are quite striking. Just last week, Widar finished seventh after a strong ride in the U23 World Championships in Zürich. However, the young Belgian had previously mentioned after a disappointing Tour de l'Avenir that he felt he had raced too much this season. That might have taken a toll on him today. Now, the young talent can enjoy a well-deserved vacation.
This season, he showcased his immense potential by winning three prestigious stage races: the Giro d'Italia Next Gen, the Alpes Isère Tour and the Giro della Valle d'Aosta. His success has caught the attention of many WorldTour teams, even though Widar is under contract with his current team until 2027. Interested teams include Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe and Lidl-Trek.
Read more below the photo.
Nordhagen impressed mainly in Italy, but not in Lombardy
It is already confirmed that Nordhagen will ride for the main Visma | Lease a Bike team in the coming years. Like Widar, the Norwegian made a big impact this season, especially in Italy. He recently won an Italian stage race for U23 riders and also claimed victory in two tough one-day races in the same country. Nordhagen also demonstrated his talent at the end of August in the professional ranks, finishing seventh in the Tour of Germany after demonstrating his willingness to attack, which also earned him the mountain jersey. However, his U23 World Championships didn’t go as well. Due to health issues, he had to skip the time trial World Championships and was not fully recovered during the road race to play a major role.
Results Tour of Lombardy U23
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
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