"Had to chase for 10 kilometres. When I got back, we stopped again" - Paris-Nice leader Matteo Jorgenson baffled by neutralization chaos
Cycling
Paris-Nice is not called 'The Race to the Sun' for no reason, as the riders are literally having to make their way through hailstorms and freezing conditions before reaching Nice. Matteo Jorgenson wore and lost his yellow jersey today, and he was definitely not happy with the chaotic situation that unfolded following the race's neutralization.
The Visma rider, like many, used the neutralization to put on new clothes and hide away from the brutal weather conditions inside a team car. But the riders began to move without much communication, leaving many confused as to what was happening on the road.
Jorgenson, together with a few Visma teammates, had probably heard through the radio the acceleration of a few Movistar riders, and that the INEOS Grenadiers riders had linked up with the breakaway. Whilst on paper the stage was neutralized, for a good 25 minutes the entire peloton continued on without it being clear what was happening.
"There was no explanation. When I was in the back of the car, I saw the red car drive away. I jumped back on my bike, and had to chase for 10 kilometres," the American said in a post-race interview. "When I got back, we stopped again. Then they decided to continue riding. It went up and down, it was a lot for the body".
Teammate Jonas Vingegaard also criticized quite directly the decision to continue the race in what he had described as horrible conditions: "We should never have ridden this finale. It was freezing and no one in the peloton felt any warmth," he had reported. Vingegaard would go on to take Jorgenson's yellow jersey at the end of the day.
"I don't know if it affected me more than others, but it was an internal rollercoaster. I was warm in the race and focused, and then it started to hail. They stopped us, and we were able to put on new clothes, more jackets. It was raining very hard, and we stopped at the coldest moment," he continues.
In the final climb Jorgenson wasn't tasked with attacking but instead to just follow the team's main rivals. He did so perfectly but could not hold the decimating pace of João Almeida in the final 500 meters, letting go of the wheel of the Portuguese who then went on to win the stage. Jorgenson dropped to second in the overall classification, now five seconds behind his teammate Vingegaard.
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🇫🇷 #ParisNice
— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) March 12, 2025
A brutal day. pic.twitter.com/HwMRiUn9GV
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- It would be great if the World Champion's jersey could be rotated among McNulty, Simmons, and Jorgenson. They threaded the needle perfectly. If each hadn't done exactly what he did, exactly when he did it, the race would have gone to one of the more heralded superstars. That said, how nice that this humble and hardworking guy gets his moment in the sun.
MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Seriously do you think when somebody gets into a serious accident, the ambulance is called by the hurt person?🤦 there is always a buddy system in place for a risky job. police , firefighters etc so that if someone gets hurt, the other call that in.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
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