Matteo Jorgenson: “Can it be my day? I don't think I should get too excited”

Matteo Jorgenson has had a formidable spring, taking another leap since joining Team Visma | Lease a Bike. After winning Paris-Nice and Dwars door Vlaanderen, the American is the biggest rival to Mathieu van der Poel on the first cobbled monument of the season, but he is aware that it's a difficult win to achieve.

“I've been laughing for two weeks now, so my jaw is starting to get a little tired. I can't say where the race will open, but I expect a long, tough race," Jorgenson shared with Sporza this morning. “But we have myself, Dylan [van Baarle] and Tiesj [Benoot] for the final, so I believe we still have one of the strongest teams in the race. We have a great chance."

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Visma arrives in Flanders almost completely decimated. Whilst Dylan van Baarle is starting he's not in his best form; but the team is missing an injured Wout van Aert and Jan Tratnik, whilst Christophe Laporte is also sidelined but due to illnesses. The team has lost it's ability to use numbers to great depth to pressure Mathieu van der Poel, and is now based around a stronger leader in Jorgenson.

“Can it be my day? I don't think I should get too excited," he admits. However in the eyes of many, the 24-year old is the second most likely rider to win this race. That does not come as a surprise, as last year Flanders was won by a climber in Tadej Pogacar, and every year it becomes more clear that the steep and seated-power climbs suit those who traditionally thrive in the longer efforts. Jorgenson fits right into that role and may have an historic day at hands today.

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"It is always easy to race when the best riders are there" - Mathieu van der Poel hopes that van Aert and Stuyven's absence doesn't trigger surprises

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