"Del Toro, man, he was stronger than me at every turn": Matteo Jorgenson reflects on hard-fought second place at Tirreno-Adriatico

Matteo Jorgenson delivered a brilliant performance at the Tirreno-Adriatico, capping off a stellar week by stealing second place overall on the very last day. After finishing second on the brutal queen stage, the American rider executed a clever tactical move during the final stage's intermediate sprint to grab three crucial bonus seconds. a last-minute effort that pushed him past Giulio Pellizzari in the general classification.

Following the race, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike star reflected on his tactical sprint, his team's support, and conceding the Trident trophy to an unbeatable Isaac del Toro.

In a tightly contested stage race, the smallest margins can make the biggest difference. Jorgenson knew he had to put on his sprinting shoes to snatch the remaining bonus seconds if he wanted to move up the podium on the final day. He acknowledged that capitalizing on this final opportunity was a massive relief.

"Yeah, I think in a race like this, the bonus seconds are really important, and this week I missed out on some opportunities. So, it was nice on the last day to get it right and just have a nice last day," he told Cycling Pro Net.

He also made sure to credit his Visma | Lease a Bike teammates for their flawless setup and protection when it mattered most to secure that intermediate sprint. "Of course. Yeah, it was the one thing we could do today, and it all came together pretty well. So, I'm really happy."

While Jorgenson started the week aiming for the overall victory, he was not able to beat Isaac del Toro. He admitted that despite his own fantastic form throughout the week, the young Mexican phenomenon was simply on another level across all terrains.

"I'm happy. I'm really happy with second place. In the end, we came here to win, for sure. I would have really liked to win that Trident, but Del Toro, man, he was stronger than me at every turn, even in the time trial. So, there was no place that I came around him."

With a highly successful stage race in the legs, Jorgenson is now immediately turning his attention to the upcoming one-day Monuments and Classics. His spring campaign is far from over, and the preparation begins right away.

"Yeah, I race Milan-San Remo next Saturday, and then it's time for some altitude preparation for the Ardennes."