Lotto-Intermarché heads to Monaco for the start of the 2026 Vuelta a España with a young and ambitious line-up. Jarno Widar will make his Grand Tour debut as leader of the eight-rider squad, which also includes Lars Craps, Lorenzo Rota, Luca Van Boven, Reuben Thompson, Roel van Sintmaartensdijk, Steffen De Schuyteneer and Vito Braet.
For Jarno Widar, still only 20 years old, the Vuelta a España– starting in Monaco and finishing in Granada this year– marks another important step in his development as a professional cyclist. The Belgian is about to embark on his first-ever Grand Tour. He starts as team leader and there will be some great opportunities along the way, but above all, this Vuelta should be one big journey of discovery for Widar.
Sports director Mario Aerts explains: “Jarno is a winner, and that is the mindset he takes with him to Monaco. We are aiming for a stage win. At the same time, he– and we as a team– could already be very proud if he manages to finish in the top five over the next three weeks. We deliberately don’t want to set a specific GC target. This is Widar’s very first Grand Tour. He has never raced for more than eight consecutive days before, so there is still a lot for him to learn. He needs to discover how his body responds to three weeks of racing and how he recovers from one stage to the next. The most important thing is that he gains experience, without pressure. We will take the Vuelta day by day and see where that takes us.”
Lotto-Intermarché’s main objective over the next three weeks will therefore be to chase stage wins. The first opportunity already comes in stage three, the first proper mountain stage, between Gruissan and Font-Romeu. Stage seven, finishing at the Valdelinares ski resort at an altitude of 1,963 metres, also offers possibilities. Further opportunities follow in stages nine, twelve, fourteen, nineteen and twenty.
“But that is already looking quite far ahead,” says Aerts. “I expect a hectic opening weekend, so first of all we need to get through that safely. We will have to stay alert. There could also be some echelons in this Vuelta, as we will be racing a lot on exposed roads with plenty of wind. And then there is the heat. This edition takes place mainly in the south of Spain, where temperatures can be scorching.”
Widar will have Luca Van Boven, Lorenzo Rota, Reuben Thompson, Roel van Sintmaartensdijk and Lars Craps alongside him in this Vuelta. Craps unfortunately had to leave his first-ever Tour de France early due to illness and gets another opportunity in Spain. New Zealander Reuben Thompson returns after a lengthy injury layoff.
“We have a strong team to support Widar, but on the stages where Jarno is not in contention, they can also take their own chances. Craps is a perfect rider for the breakaway, as is Van Boven, for example.”
For the sprint stages, Lotto-Intermarché brings Steffen De Schuyteneer and Vito Braet. Like Widar, De Schuyteneer is preparing for his first Grand Tour. “For him too, these three weeks will be all about gaining experience. There aren’t many opportunities for the sprinters – I’ll already be happy if we get three proper sprint stages. It won’t be an easy Vuelta for them, but we will seize every opportunity that comes our way.”
For Lotto-Intermarché, the Vuelta will therefore be a combination of ambition and the continued development of its young talents.
In Monaco, the team will also appear on the start podium in a pink version of its jersey, just as the Lotto-Intermarché Ladies did at the Vuelta Femenina earlier this season. Sponsor Actual group, a leading player in the French employment market that was presented as the team’s new employment partner during the Tour de France, will also feature on the jersey during the Vuelta a España.
Lotto-Intermarché line-up:
- Jarno Widar
- Lars Craps
- Lorenzo Rota
- Luca Van Boven
- Reuben Thompson
- Roel van Sintmaartensdijk
- Steffen De Schuyteneer
- Vito Braet
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