Widar’s Momentum
Jarno Widar arrives at the race in resurgent form. After abandoning the Giro Next Gen in June, the 20-year-old responded emphatically by crushing the competition at the Tour de la Vallée d’Aoste in July — a mountainous proving ground that has previously showcased riders like Thibaut Pinot and Pavel Sivakov. “Widar is in superb form now,” said Pauwels. “The Tour de l’Avenir really suits him — it’s his kind of race. But let’s not pretend it will be easy.”
Widar’s climbing ability has never been in doubt, and in a parcours likely to feature serious altitude and hard summit finishes, he will be one of the key names on every team’s radar. But standing opposite him is a rider Pauwels regards as potentially “another step up altogether.”
Widar is seen as the future of Belgian cycling
The Seixas Sensation
Enter Paul Seixas. Still only 18, the Frenchman stunned the cycling world in June with a remarkable 6th-place finish at the Critérium du Dauphiné — not in the U23 ranks, but in the World Tour race itself. “Paul Seixas is a bit of a phenomenon,” Pauwels said. “To finish 6th at your first Dauphiné at 18 — it’s crazy. If he shows up at the Tour de l’Avenir with that level, then yes, he’s at another level again.”
Seixas wasn’t just surviving — he was climbing with the best in the world. In a race featuring Pogacar, Vingegaard, and Remco Evenepoel, Seixas showed not only staying power but tactical intelligence and maturity far beyond his years. That performance alone put him on the radar as a generational talent.
While Widar brings more experience and a proven record in the U23 peloton, Seixas arrives as a wildcard who’s already proven he can hang with — and challenge — the WorldTour elite. If both riders hit the high mountains of the Tour de l’Avenir in peak condition, their clash could mark the beginning of a new rivalry worth watching for years to come.
Pogacar vs Vingegaard… The Sequel?
The comparison may sound bold, but Pauwels’ analogy taps into something real: both Widar and Seixas appear to be climbers of rare pedigree, developing rapidly, and seemingly destined for Grand Tour contention.
The Tour de l’Avenir has always been about spotting the next Pogacar. In 2025, it may be about watching the next two.