Matteo Jorgenson reveals why Visma let the Red Jersey go at La Vuelta 2025: "We have it under control"

Matteo Jorgenson may no longer be shepherding Jonas Vingegaard in the red jersey, but there was no sense of panic — or regret — inside the Team Visma | Lease a Bike camp after Stage 6 of the 2025 Vuelta a Espana. In fact, if anything, the tone was calculated calm.

“We were really happy to give the jersey away,” Jorgenson admitted in comments collected by Cycling News at the finish atop the Alto de Pal in Andorra, where the breakaway succeeded and Torstein Traeen rode into the overall lead.

The decision to cede red was no last-minute call. On the first summit finish of this year’s Vuelta, Visma executed a clear strategy: keep dangerous GC threats out of the breakaway, let the time gap grow within a controlled margin, and conserve energy for the harder battles to come.

“I think it was good, we managed the start well to not let any too dangerous guys get in the break,” said Jorgenson. “We wanted to keep it to around five minutes. I have a lot of respect for Torstein and Bruno Armirail, but I think we have it under control as far as the GC. It will be for sure difficult to take back that time, but this whole race will be difficult.”

The day was not without its tests. UAE Team Emirates - XRG’s Juan Ayuso cracked badly on the final climb, shedding nearly 12 minutes, while Lidl-Trek tried to inject pace in the closing kilometres — an opportunistic move that briefly unsettled the status quo.

“On the final climb, it was tricky with Trek coming up to pace when Ayuso was dropping, and from there it was just about keeping it under control for Jonas and so that none of the GC guys could attack,” Jorgenson explained. “It was some hard moments for Sepp and me, but all that ends well is well, that’s the saying,” he added with a grin.

With Ayuso effectively out of the GC picture, and João Almeida left as UAE’s lone viable contender, the day turned out to be a net gain for Visma. The team’s control, even in surrender, allowed them to shed the burdens of leadership while sharpening their focus on the decisive high-mountain stages still to come.

Jorgenson’s comments reinforced that line: Visma is in no rush to take back red, as long as the overall situation remains manageable. The American’s growing role as road captain and mountain lieutenant to Vingegaard continues to mature — and his post-stage composure suggests a team confident in its process, even if the day’s results might raise eyebrows on paper.

“We have it under control,” Jorgenson repeated. That’s the message — and the warning — to Visma’s rivals as La Vuelta enters its second phase.