"How can I beat him? That's a good question" - However, Visma's Jorgenson believes Tadej Pogacar is not unbeatable

Team Visma | Lease a Bike is the team that challenges UAE Team Emirates - XRG the most, however in 2026, they want to move away from having the Grand Tours as absolute priorities, but instead put more emphasis on the monuments as well. Matteo Jorgenson, an incredibly versatile rider and world-class leader, is going to be a key part of the tactic to also challenge Pogacar outside the stage-races.

The American rider is not racing the cobbled classics this spring, but instead starting races such as Strade Bianche and Milano-Sanremo where he hadn't been present since joining Visma back in 2024. Paris-Nice and the cobbles dominated both previous spring campaigns, but now he changes up significantly, and will put the most emphasis on the Ardennes classics, where he hopes to reach his best form.

At Strade and Sanremo he will team up with Wout van Aert - and also Matthew Brennan in the latter - however due to his climbing ability and the presence of Tadej Pogacar, he could be a pivotal piece of the racing in the first monument of the season. But in the Ardennes he will take more responsibility in the Visma lineup, leading it at Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The team has made it a clear goal to win a monument in 2026.

However to do that, Jorgenson will have to battle Tadej Pogacar, who is virtually unbeatable in the races he focuses on. Only Mathieu van der Poel managed to do that in 2025. "How can I beat him? That's a good question. It's important to look at myself and finish the races as best as possible. To start in the best possible condition," Jorgenson said in words to Wielerflits.

Jorgenson is given a difficult task, but he is one of the few riders who can realistically attempt to do it. In 2024, notably, he tried to follow Pogacar at the Tour of Flanders, Giro dell'Emilia and GP de Montréal. Whilst in 2025 he did not take such risks, he showed that he was one of the few who had a shot, and if the World Champion has a bad day, whilst Jorgenson potentially has a perfect day, then it can be possible in some races to challenge the Slovenian.

"We saw in the recent Amstel Gold Race that he's not unbeatable. That gives me some hope," he admits. On that day, Pogacar attacked early on, but did not have the legs to sustain it and was then caught by Remco Evenepoel and Mattias Skjelmose. The latter took a surprising victory in the sprint.

With 26 years of age and another season at top level, the American's level can grow further. Physically he is up there, and he will try to count on evolving in other aspects of racing in order to improve further. "It's important to always position yourself well and race".