Johan Bruyneel believes Visma made a mistake teaming up Vingegaard and Jorgenson at Paris-Nice: "It should've been clear if it would've been my team that this is Jorgenson's race"
Cycling
Paris-Nice has delivered a lot of drama when it comes to Team Visma | Lease a Bike. Matteo Jorgenson's race has been ideal until the start of the final weekend of the race, but it was the combination of the American (the defending champion) and Jonas Vingegaard that was a mistake.
"I didn't see it, I don't know if it was on camera but he didn't look that banged up. But his hand appeared not to be ok he couldn't stand up," Spencer Martin said in The Move podcast. Johan Bruyneel continued regarding the Dane's crash: "His lip was split, there was blood, and then apparently he had problems with the hand".
"Then I read an interview of Campenaerts afterwards that he couldn't shift and almost not break. So they already knew that something was going on. Then I also saw the interview of Grischa Niermann (Visma DS, ed.) that said this morning (Friday morning, ed.) that 'we already he was out yesterday'. "
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Ultimately Vingegaard abandoned the race. But this did not in any way almost throw an obstacle in the way of Visma, who continued to lead the race with a very consistent and strong Jorgenson, and a collective that did a perfect stage 6 to create chaos in the crosswinds and distance several of their riders even further.
"If I would be the director or the manager of the team I would've tried to convince Jonas before the start of Tirreno. Because they all know how good they are, which level they are. If you have a guy like Jorgenson in their team who is the defending champion, who's super ambitious to try and win again... From before the start of Paris-Nice it should've been clear if it would've been my team that this is Jorgenson's race," Bruyneel argues.
The American has delivered on his expectations, and often Vingegaard seemed to have a free role within a team with a clear focus. "Jonas has a free role in case Jorgenson gets in problems. But he should put himself on the service of Jorgenson because he is of unbelievable value for Jonas in other races".
"Whether Jonas wins Paris-Nice or not it doesn't really matter. If Jorgenson wins Paris-Nice you have an extremely good rider with a great result, happy and super committed to the leader later on," the former team manager argued.
"I'm not saying that Jorgenson isn't going to do that now, even if Jonas would win and Jorgenson get third or fourth he would still do his job. But it's these little things that, in this case Jorgenson should've gotten more of a leader's role than Jonas, and it's something we've seen a few times with Visma".
Jorgenson needs races to improve, he won Paris Nice last year, he should have been given open rein this year. He rode his guts out for Jonas last year, Jonas just needs to build form for the Tour. Give Matteo a race without a co captain.
He has declined leadership though in the past? Lack of confidence? Hedging your bets works sometimes, at other times it is better to commit and go in big.
He’s not unlike SK, people just don’t want to accept their decisions
Jonas attacking Matteo< who was the GC leader, on the first summit finish was ridiculous! Karma came back and bit JV in the a$$ !
Maybe, maybe people forget domestiques are paid to be just that if orders aren’t changed.
Agreed. Why have these two together? Give Jorgenson his own race. They have no one in Italy for GC that’s legit and proven
Exactly. Two leaders of this caliber at the same race makes no sense.
Jonas won T-A last tear and wanted to do P-N this year. Jorgensen also wanted to do it, he declined every si gle opportunity to be a solo leader, eevry stage race Jonas doesn't do, Giro
Agreed. Why have these two together? Give Jorgenson his own race. They have no one in Italy for GC that’s legit and proven
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