Matteo Jorgenson "one of the best riders in the world" according to Team Visma | Lease a Bike DS: "But winning the Tour, I don't say that"
Cycling
Matteo Jorgenson's career has been on an upward trajectory ever since he arrived at Team Visma | Lease a Bike for the start of the 2024 season. After taking the Maillot Jaune at Paris-Nice 2025 though, the world is really beginning to take note of just how good the 25-year-old American really is.
Having already triumphed at Paris-Nice last year, Jorgenson returned to the iconic French stage race as co-leader of the team this time around, sharing the responsibility with two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard. Jorgenson took the Maillot Jaune on stage 3 after Visma won the team time trial in emphatic style. Vingegaard then proved the stronger climber of the two on stage 4, leapfrogging Jorgenson in the GC and claiming the race lead for himself. After a crash left then forced the Dane out of the race though, Jorgenson reclaimed the Maillot Jaune and in truth, never really looked like relinquishing it again.
Understandably, Team Visma | Lease a Bike were left delighted by the American's performances over the course of the week, with sports director Frans Maassen hailing the now two-time Paris-Nice winner as "one of the best riders in the world."
"You saw it everywhere last year," Maassen explains with pride to Cycling Weekly following the conclusion of Paris-Nice 2025. "I think he did some great efforts in the Tour and showed that he can ride the Classics. Of course, it was a big disappointment with the crash of Jonas, but it also makes it a bit easier that you then have one leader. I think everyone has seen that Matteo was the best rider in the race."
For the remainder of the year, Jorgenson and Vingegaard will often be riding together if all goes to plan, with a view in mind for the upcoming Tour de France later this summer. Despite his breakthrough Grand Tour performance alongside Vingegaard in 2024, Maassen is confident Jorgenson can be even better this time around. "Definitely he can play a bigger role in Grand Tours," the DS concludes. "But winning the Tour, I don't say that, but he's a very good, very talented rider and we will see much more from him in the next few years."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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