"No guarantee that Tadej Pogacar will be as strong this year" - Matteo Jorgenson sees opportunity for Jonas Vingegaard at 2025 Tour de France
Cycling
Despite Tadej Pogacar's brilliance in 2024, within Team Visma | Lease a Bike there remains, somewhat unsurprisingly, a staunch belief that Jonas Vingegaard can get himself back into the Maillot Jaune at the 2025 Tour de France. Matteo Jorgenson is one Visma rider, who sees opportunity for his team leader.
Despite chapter 5 of the epic Pogacar - Vingegaard Tour de France rivalry pencilled in for later this summer though, Jorgenson insists Visma have more to worry about than just the UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader. "He is of course not our only competitor," the American explains in conversation with Sporza. "But when Pogacar is at the start, a large part of our tactics are focused on him."
Jorgenson is also doubtful that Pogacar will be able to replicate the history-making and record-breaking kind of form the Slovenian showed in 2024, winning a pair of Grand Tours, 12 stages, 2 Monuments and a World Championship title among other successes. "It is no guarantee that Pogacar will be as strong this year as in 2024. Last year everything fell into place for him," he analyses. "I'm not saying that won't happen again. But I know how cycling works: a lot of puzzle pieces have to fall into place to reach your desired level."
As has been the case with a lot of Team Visma | Lease a Bike personnel this off-season though, they are keen to stress that regardless of Pogacar's level, they themselves will be much improved come the 2025 Tour de France. "All teammates I've spoken to have made progress this winter," Jorgenson concludes his assessment firmly. "Last year we were unlucky that Sepp Kuss dropped out of the Tour with a corona infection. Now Sepp will be there, together with (new signing) Simon Yates. That makes our climbing train much stronger than in the previous Tour."
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- He already is the GOAT. Merckx rode decades ago when the sport was far less professional and the opposition weaker. You might as well say Djokovic is approaching Rod Laver or Messi is getting near to Stanley Matthews. If a sport advances and you are at the top, you are the GOAT.Renz09-03-2025
- Excellent point about when it’s too late to respond. I was watching the ‘23 Flanders race again, and the break, the bridge, and Mads Peterson all did the right thing. Not enough, but still, the attempt was the thing. I love watching Pogacar race, but I am really hoping for more of that kind of early hard attack in the coming months.RidesHills09-03-2025
- Pure class and nice for him to wait. After Tadej shared some liquids earlier. And besides Tadej took out that gap pretty instantly. No offense to Pidcock but he sat up at the top of a climb with the bridge over was obvious. And this is meant as no offense.mij09-03-2025
- What a ride! 💪
leedorney09-03-2025 - Pure classCrashjames08-03-2025
- If you have a hack to watch it on TV ;-)Mistermaumau08-03-2025
- Katalin Szőke, how many media do you think ever got that right? In Britain, you’re asking for trouble to register your kids’ name with an accent, in France, even something as simple as á is refused as their software doesn’t have it.Mistermaumau08-03-2025
- Awesome job today and I hope you can have a lot opportunities! Forza, Connor!
maria2024202408-03-2025 - Sorry, but a lot of cyclists can testify that there is truth to this training/race day paradox.Mistermaumau08-03-2025
- Cyclingnews: Pogačar and Pidcock are on Le Tolfe. This is the first of 2 times they’ll do this one -the next time, it’ll be the last of the race. Was that a tribute to Murray Walker?Mistermaumau08-03-2025