Could Matteo Jorgenson co-lead with Jonas VIngegaard at Tour de France? "I won't say anything about that. Because that would be stupid" Visma DS says
CyclingWednesday, 02 April 2025 at 11:50
Team Visma | Lease a Bike were strongly defeated at the Tour de France last year by a Tadej Pogacar that had no weak spots or bad days. Certainly, it will be very hard for anyone to even match him in the high mountains, but the Dutch team could have in Matteo Jorgenson a special weapon.
The American has shown great results last year, further complemented by his versatility (winning not only in the stage-races, but also in cobbled classics such as Dwars door Vlaanderen) and sheer consistency. This year he entered in the perfect position, winning Paris-Nice confidently, whilst Vingegaard crashed out of the race with a concussion.
The gap between the two seems smaller than ever, and both will race the Tour de France. Most likely, Jorgenson will have a luxury domestique role, whilst he himself can still contest for a Top10 as was the case last year - or more, if possible.
But could Visma go as far as starting the Grand Boucle with two leaders? "I won't say anything about that. Because that would be stupid, especially in Denmark. There is only one Jonas Vingegaard, and he is an exceptionally good rider. Matteo can help him in a way. Maybe as co-captain," DS Frans Maassen said in conversation to Feltet.
UAE will have a tremendously strong squad at the start, but Visma won't be too bad either with the likes of Simon Yates and Sepp Kuss as domestiques for the mountains, and an experienced all-round team including Wout van Aert filling in all the gaps.
"It is to Jonas' advantage that Matteo is also at his very best level. It may help him put pressure on. But it is too early to say anything about that yet," Maassen makes it clear. "Jonas and Pogacar are the primary candidates for the Tour. There are two favorites, and then there are a lot of other good riders".
This will likely apply regardless of Jorgenson's results over the upcoming months, as last year he already did prove his quality. "That is true, and he is taking steps, but I can't say anything about it yet. What Jonas did last year was incredible. Second place felt like a victory, and I hope that with the ideal preparation he can get closer to Pogacar".
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— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) April 1, 2025
Marianne & Matteo made Yellow B. history last year! 🔙 pic.twitter.com/an3qVD3nUb
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- Let's not forget that Pedersen won the Worlds in Yorkshire in true North of England conditions which are hell basically, when it's bad..
leedorney12-05-2025 - Vingo is the best Dane cyclist. He's the only one who beat Pogi two time in Tour de France.
James2631812-05-2025 - Its a pretty easy comparison, Jonas is the best. Look at his opponent the Best rider of his generation and 3rd best of all time Pogi who he has beaten twice in TDF. Pedersen cant even beat MVDP in monumentsabstractengineer12-05-2025
- Did the person who wrote this article catch any of last season and what happened? Cut the guy some slack and stop feeding of someone else’s hard times, the above article is pretty redundant.Jezla12-05-2025
- Hey, all great and deserving of respect but let’s not look at things too pinkly. He’s only just above Marc Hirschi in the UCI rankings. He’s had the potential to do this for the last 7-8 years, it’s just all come together at once, having his moment. Maybe he went on a secret HA camp :-) Seriously though, he’s NEVER said he doesn’t believe in it (challenge: find me that quote), he said he hates it in words that would get an F1 driver punished, and for the same reasons that his fellow countryman Jonas gets crucified for, being away from family (though given team budgets, there is an obvious solution to that). Besides, not very professional of media and pundits to linger on past out of date sayings, he’s more or less changed his mind in the meantime and is no longer categoric about refusing to try.Mistermaumau12-05-2025
- I don’t think that pays off in cycling, you never know when your next problem will happen, injury, illness, crash, and using so much time to prepare for a big goal risks being very disappointing in a short career.Mistermaumau12-05-2025
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- What you forget about hunting is that time is on the side of the hunter. You’d be a fool to underestimate rivals who haven’t peaked and I doubt you’ll hear any riders including TP or JV brushing him off like you’re trying. He’s done one GT against them, his first, what were you expecting? Still way ahead of any other contenders and that as a first-timer.Mistermaumau12-05-2025
- Its appears that way. Repeated crashes take a toll on the bodyabstractengineer11-05-2025
- He cannot hunt down something that he has never been close to in GTsabstractengineer11-05-2025
I think Jorgenson has the ability to win the Tour de France and has strength to battle with Remco, Roglic, Ayuso and Almeida. But when it comes to these aliens (Pogi and Vingo), they are just in another planet. Another alien named MvdP in the classics.
I disagree. Jorgensen has a worst TT than Remco or Roglic, on any terrain, and is worse in the mountains
True but things also change, Primoz will get older, Remco crashes, MJ isn’t peaking yet and people can improve their weaknesses faster than others improve their strengths, cf MVDP climbing, JV TTing.
Jorgenson turns 26 this year, he won't get much better
Powless just got “better” at 28, Rog hasn’t gotten worse at 35, GT only really started getting going in GT late twenties. Give the guy a chance, he’s not even been let off the leash yet, remember what Jonas achieved GT wise since being given leader status.
I said much better, not better. He probably will improve but right now he needs about 20 minutes of free time to win the Tour against Pogacar. And the was offered leadership in Giro and other races but turned it down
Yes but 20 minutes as a domestique isn’t 20 minutes as a leader, and you know as well as anybody that Pog winning is in no way a guarantee. Granted, neither Pog nor Remco nor Jinas nor Primoz or some more winning starts to seem far-fetched but a podium would certainly be targetable if he doesn’t have to worry about Jonas.
I don't think so, maybe in a different GT, not in the Tour. Last year, to be 3rd, he would have to be better than Remco. And he wasn't, on any terrain
Yeah not this year anyway but worth keeping an eye on him (and some others) in future.
If he's very lucky maybe he can podium a Tour one season, I certainly don't believe he can win it, ever