Cyclingflash
New setback for Jarno Widar: top talent forced to skip Ardennes classics

New setback for Jarno Widar: top talent forced to skip Ardennes classics

Jarno Widar is having a tough time. The Belgian neo-pro crashed during training earlier this month and suffered a 'minor knee injury.' However, the damage is greater than initially expected, as Widar will not be race-fit in time for the Ardennes Classics.

Earlier this month, there was a mishap during training. Widar crashed a few days before the Gran Premio Miguel Indurain (April 4), and it had consequences. The 20-year-old climber had to skip the Spanish one-day race due to a minor knee injury, and the Tour of the Basque Country (April 6-11) was also removed from his program.

"As a precaution, the team decided to withdraw him from these races to avoid risks and prioritize his recovery with the upcoming races in mind," his team Lotto-Intermarché announced at the time.

No Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège
The Ardennes Classics – including the Flèche Wallonne (April 22) and Liège-Bastogne-Liège (April 26) – initially seemed secure, but Widar’s crash turns out to be less 'harmless' than first thought. "Jarno will not participate in the Ardennes Classics due to an injury to his left knee following his training crash," the team now reports with bad news.

"The injury continues to cause discomfort, preventing Jarno from performing at his best at the moment. This injury forces him to spend some time off the bike. He is being closely monitored by the team's medical staff so he can focus on full recovery. We wish Jarno a speedy rehabilitation!"

The next race on his schedule is Eschborn-Frankfurt (May 1), although it’s now uncertain whether Widar can prepare in time for this German WorldTour event.