At 22, he had almost given up the dream that he has kept since childhood. Now, he has made his WorldTour debut at the Tour Down Under. Jardi can hardly control his excitement. His rookie year has been a long time coming. Jardi made the jump from club racing straight to the WorldTour thanks to his performances with the Dutch u-23 national team and on the e-racing circuit. He knows that he still has lots to learn, but he is ready to surprise people.

We caught up with Jardi to hear about his path to becoming a pro and what it was like to race the Tour Down Under.

Tell us about your road to the pros.
I started racing when I was seven and got more and more into it with local clubs. I started with RCMD De Coureur and then later with Westland Wil Vooruit as an under-17 and under-19. When I joined the under-23s, I started e-racing on the side and that made me stronger. Racing became a lot of fun then, because I progressed from mid-pack to mixing it up with the stronger riders. Over the last couple of years especially, I showed that I am able to reach a high-level. I already knew how to race, but with the strength I gained e-racing, I found I could really compete, especially on climbs and hilly race courses.

Now, you’re a WorldTour rider. How does that feel?
I am still just getting used to it, but it is certainly really nice to have got to a point where I can make my living racing. It is really nice that someone who has already worked normal day jobs can nevertheless make his dream come true. It’s just special to be here. My friends never saw this coming. I think it is just the way I was about it. I am pretty open and relaxed. Nothing must happen, but anything can happen is my motto. What my friends don’t realize about me is that behind the scenes I am very focused on getting the best out of myself. I think that is why they didn’t expect me to make it and why it has nevertheless happened now.

A few months ago, you were working in a supermarket. Is this surreal?
For a long time, I combined cycling with working at a supermarket and working at a sports gym and that cost a lot of time and stopped me from being as focused on cycling, because I was working two jobs. Still, I think that it is really good that I was able to finish my studies in kinesiology and therefore had to worry less about making this step. I still live in the Netherlands, at my parents’, in a flat part of the Netherlands, near Rotterdam, in Schiedam. But we don’t have anywhere where you can practice descending or anything like that, so I am considering moving somewhere where I can include all those aspects of cycling in my training to get better.

Besides cycling, what are your other interests?
I have a lot of interest in training other people, in sport, in nutrition, but also at a psychological level. How can you motivate yourself better? How can you turn someone’s mindset in a positive direction? I also help run an e-racing team on the side, which takes time, but is certainly one of my hobbies. I do that just for fun. And then I like to meet up with friends, particularly in the off-season and when I have time. Often we’ll go bowling or play board games at someone’s house, or play laser tag. I have a brother who is three years younger than me. He races with the club I raced for last year. He is doing well and step by step we see him making more and more progress.

You’ve achieved your first great dream. What's the next one?
I once joked with friends that I would like to wear the white jersey at the Tour de France. I don’t know if that is a realistic goal right now. I am 22, so in principle it could happen, but looking at the competitors and where I am now, it might not be realistic. But I am going to do my best to get the best out of myself. You have to dare to dream and try your best. That way you can accept whatever happens. That kind of acceptance is one of the greatest things that you can have as a person. If you can’t accept who you are or how good you are or how hard you try, you will always be stuck in a negative spiral. The white jersey is one of the most beautiful jerseys in cycling. It is still far away, but I would love to wear it.

Now that you’ve finished the Tour Down Under, the first WorldTour stage race of your career, how was it?
Racing the Tour Down Under was what I expected based on what I experienced in the 2023 Tour de Langkawi. There, the first days were a little quiet and not everyone was going all out at the beginning of the stages. And then for the last few stages, it was all out from start to finish and I think the TDU was similar but the level of racing was higher here in Australia.

What did you learn this week?
I think the important thing that I learned from this stage race was how to use your energy, especially for the final because the riders at this level know how hard the final is. They keep a little bit in reserve for the finish. That’s something I want to do better.

What was the highlight of the race?
Every day at the race when the team would come together and find each other. Every team has a train and I like that. It’s really cool to ride with your whole team and then go into the finale. You hope you stay together but it’s so hectic that sometimes you lose each other and then you come together again. When we’re all in the train – it’s hard to describe what I’m feeling then. It’s really cool that you can ride together and go into the final with the fans on the road supporting you. It’s a lot of excitement, a lot of adrenaline. That’s my highlight of the whole week.