Matteo Jorgenson: "We decided to go for the sprint with Wout and it was the wrong decision"

Team Visma | Lease a Bike have made the wrong decision today at Dwars door Vlaanderen. The Dutch team have anticipated the competition, created almost the perfect scenario, but then on a 3-to-1 they lost the race to Neilson Powless after the decision was made in the team car to bet on a sprint from Wout van Aert.

It was a scenario widely feared, similar to that of Quick-Step versus Ian Stannard 10 years ago at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. A collective attack at Berg ten Houte saw van Aert, Jorgenson and Tiesj Benoot escape the peloton in perfect fashion, dropping even the in-form Mads Pedersen who was caught out of position.

In the following kilometers they dropped everyone who was ahead except for Neilson Powless, and then the quartet worked together into the final 10 kilometers. Likely to provide van Aert with a much needed psychological boost (although the reasons given were different), the decision was made to take the race to a sprint - despite having a massive numerical advantage on a flat finale.

"We did a beautiful race up until 10k to go. We decided to go for the sprint with Wout and it was the wrong decision we can be honest about that," a disappointed Jorgenson said in a post-race interview. "Also we underestimated Neilson. Really chapeau to Neilson and congrats, that was a really great sprint from him".

Wout van Aert didn't have the legs in the final sprint, and was beaten by the EF Education-EasyPost rider. The sight of three defeated Visma riders behind is one that won't be forgotten soon. "I wouldn't say it's so much of a surprise, I know Neilson, how fast he is, super explosive..."

"In the car they decided to go for a sprint instead of attacking. It was a decision we made because we weren't super confident with the gap at a certain point and we made the wrong decision. He was helping some the whole time. We just were quite nervous with the headwind on the final lap and the group coming from behind. We decided to use Tiesj and I and kind of gamble with Wout a little more, I guess it was the wrong decision".

The team is heading into the Tour of Flanders with very mixed feelings, on the one hand having shown the collective strength that reminded fans of the 2022 and 2023 season, but on the other hand a bad tactical decision and a Wout van Aert that will be psychologically hit from this defeat. "We've improved every race a bit since Opening Weekend, it wasn't so hard to improve from that," he joked, seeing the positive in the negative afternoon of the team.