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Matteo Jorgenson leads but Visma head to Il Lombardia without top favourite: "We have to be honest about that"
CyclingThursday, 10 October 2024 at 15:00
Many are expecting Tadej Pogacar to dominate again at Il Lombardia this weekend. One of those teams looking to take the fight to the world champion, will be Team Visma | Lease a Bike, led by their American talent, Matteo Jorgenson.
Although Jorgenson has been one of the few riders to repeatedly attempt to follow Pogacar's attacks over the course of this year, he realises that it's going to be far from straightforward to deny the all-conquering Slovenian victory. “In general, I like to be a realist while still aiming high. We don’t have the top favourite on our team, and we have to be honest about that," he admits honestly in a pre-race preview to Team Visma | Lease a Bike's official website.
Despite the somewhat reserved comment about the lack of a true favourite in the team, Jorgenson is nevertheless full of determination and optimism. "Still, speaking for myself, I’m ambitious," he continues firmly. "I believe a top 5 finish is within reach. Winning will be tough, but the race still has to be ridden."
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"Lombardy is always a huge day on the bike and it demands a lot of willingness to suffer, even just to finish. The race is quite honest and tactically straightforward. The results at the finish usually reflect exactly how strong your legs were on the day," the American concludes. “Personally, I think me and the team have managed my race calendar quite well this year, and I still have something left to give mentally. I'm not at the same level physically as I was during the summer, but I believe I can still play a role in the final of the race on Saturday."
“We haven't secured a podium result in a Monument this year, and that's something we're really aiming for on Saturday. In races like the Giro dell’Emilia and the Coppa Bernocchi, we showed strong teamwork. Bart Lemmen even came close to victory in the latter," adds sports director Marc Reef. "While we don’t have the absolute favourite for the win this time, we do have a well-rounded and strong team with Matteo, Bart, Wilco Kelderman, and Tiesj Benoot. We're definitely a team to keep an eye on. We'll assess our chances and fully commit during the race.”
Team Visma | Lease a Bike for Il Lombardia 2024:
Matteo Jorgenson
Bart Lemmen
Tiesj Benoot
Wilco Kelderman
Steven Kruijswijk
Jan Tratnik
Attila Valter
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