“A nutrition problem? No, it's a Monument problem!” – Matteo Jorgenson laughs off late race Tour of Flanders crack

Team Visma | Lease a Bike showed real determination and teamwork at Sunday’s Tour of Flanders, putting in a bold performance that silenced some of their critics. Wout van Aert crossed the line in fourth, narrowly missing the podium, while Matteo Jorgenson and Tiesj Benoot played key roles in shaping the race.

After the finish, Jorgenson joked about how he was dropped late on, despite an impressive showing throughout the day.

"They dropped you on the flat, or what?" team manager Grischa Niermann teased in a video posted by the team. The American laughed off the comment: "I had a double flat. Both my legs. You have to check the sealant in the tire, because I had a double puncture."

Speaking to Cyclingnews, Jorgenson opened up about the brutal finale. “I'm very, very empty. I just feel done, I fell apart completely in the last 10 kilometers, there was just nothing left in my legs.” In the end, he slipped behind the peloton, finishing 2:34 behind winner Tadej Pogacar.

Asked if his drop-off was a nutrition issue, he replied: “A nutrition problem? No, it's a Monument problem. I simply had nothing left, I gave too much to follow the big boys. But I am very happy with how we rode as a team, and we put together a beautiful race. We did our best, I rode as hard as I could and tried to follow as best I could.”

Tiesj Benoot, who was one of the early animators of the race, shared his satisfaction with how the team performed.

“For me it was ideal to anticipate and for the team too. We had indicated a few points to do something, but that was not necessary because I was already in the front. With many good riders: Filippo Ganna with a teammate, Matteo Trentin with a teammate, Davide Ballerini with a teammate.”

He added, “In the end, we are with three men among the best eight riders. We can be proud of that. Four and six is good, although it is a pity that Wout just misses out on a podium.”

Benoot concluded on a positive note: “It's a successful day. The course is so difficult. As a team we made it difficult for him, but Pogacar was simply the best rider. That's the honest and beautiful thing about the Tour of Flanders as it is now. This was the highest achievable, certainly today. I think Wout can do even better. He's obviously come a long way from last year, but with the resources we had this was a super good race."