"I would not immediately indicate him for the Flemish spring" - Is Matteo Jorgenson a contender for the monuments?

Matteo Jorgenson successfully defended his Paris-Nice title last week, stepping up for Team Visma | Lease a Bike at exactly the right moment after Jonas Vingegaard was forced to abandon. Now, he turns his attention to Milano-Sanremo, where he will go up against Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel in one of the most unpredictable races on the calendar.

Sporza commentators Jose De Cauwer and Renaat Schotte have been assessing Jorgenson’s next steps, debating what direction his career might take. While his performances in stage races continue to improve, his potential in the Flemish classics remains uncertain.

"In principle, he will continue to work on that lap work. It is a bit of a toss-up which direction he should go. Jorgenson himself said that he is reasonably sharp. While it is better to gain a few kilos for more resilience in the Flemish races. So I would not immediately indicate him for the Flemish spring."

Jorgenson’s all-round abilities have made him an interesting case study. He excels in hilly terrain, can time trial well, and has shown impressive endurance, but whether he can truly challenge in the cobblestone-heavy Flemish classics is still up for debate. His performance at Milano-Sanremo could give more insight into where his strengths are best suited.

De Cauwer also highlighted Magnus Sheffield as a rider to watch, citing his past success in the Brabantse Pijl as an indication that he could have more to offer in the coming weeks.

"You can add Magnus Sheffield. Not because he won the final stage, but we have seen him win the Brabantse Pijl in the past. Maybe he has now set off for more."

He also pointed to Filippo Ganna, who was superb in Tirreno-Adriatico, as a key contender, especially looking ahead to the cobbled classics.

"If you then continue that line to Flanders with a good team, where he will be the leader. We know that Ganna can do that, but we have not really seen that yet. But in a Paris-Roubaix and other races, he is a man to look forward to."

De Cauwer then turned his attention to Mathieu van der Poel’s performance at Tirreno-Adriatico, where he felt the Dutchman could have won multiple stages.

"He could and perhaps should have won two stages, especially the first one. There he first closes a gap and then gets boxed in in the sprint. Okay, those are things that can happen. But I think Van der Poel came out of Tirreno-Adriatico with a good feeling. He was able to put a final layer on top of his condition."

This could be a warning sign for his rivals ahead of Milano-Sanremo and the Flemish classics, as Van der Poel tends to peak at exactly the right time.

Mads Pedersen was another rider De Cauwer believes could thrive in the upcoming weeks, highlighting his consistency and ability to perform across multiple races.

"We will definitely put Mads Pedersen among the candidate winners for the Flemish spring. If you saw him here, up to and including the Amstel Gold Race might be his territory."

He was less optimistic about Jonathan Milan’s chances at Milano-Sanremo, suggesting that Pogacar will be determined to make the race too hard for the pure sprinters.

"I think Pogacar absolutely wants to win there this year. Then the race has to be made hard on the Cipressa and then it will be difficult for Milan."

However, the unpredictability of racing means that sprinters cannot be ruled out entirely, as history has shown with unexpected winners like Biniam Girmay in Gent-Wevelgem.

"But of course you have races where other winners will emerge. We never thought that Biniam Girmay would win Gent-Wevelgem. So it is perfectly possible that a Merlier or a Milan wins it, but Philipsen also wants to win it."

De Cauwer was also full of praise for Tim Merlier, calling him one of the fastest sprinters in the world but unsure how far he can go in the upcoming classics.

"Merlier is in good shape, already a whole spring. What that will yield is also a question mark for him."