"That's extremely disappointing": Matteo Jorgenson taken to hospital after a heavy crash ruins his Amstel Gold Race

Matteo Jorgenson's highly anticipated return to racing took a disappointing turn today at the Amstel Gold Race. Everything seemed to be going according to plan when he joined the elite selection of favorites late in the race, but a sudden crash involving Huub Artz and Kévin Vauquelin took him down hard, forcing him to abandon the event and head to the local hospital. The incident left Team Visma | Lease a Bike without their designated leader, effectively ending their chances for a result on a day where Remco Evenepoel ultimately took the victory.

The race finally broke wide open just over 40 kilometers from the finish line. On the steep slopes of the Gulperberg, Romain Grégoire launched a sharp attack, forcing the main contenders to show their cards. Jorgenson was paying attention and immediately responded, jumping into the move alongside other heavy favorites like Remco Evenepoel, Mattias Skjelmose, and Kévin Vauquelin. The group reached the top of the climb together and looked ready to push on toward the finish.

Unfortunately for Jorgenson, his strong positioning was undone just moments later. Shortly after cresting the climb, things went wrong in the leading group. Kévin Vauquelin crashed, and Jorgenson was unable to avoid him, resulting in a heavy fall for the American rider, who was forced to abandon.

The crash was a major blow to Team Visma | Lease a Bike, who had high hopes in Jorgenson for this specific block of racing. Sports director Frans Maassen spoke to the media after the finish, expressing his clear frustration over how quickly a promising situation unraveled.

"We had high expectations for this race and were well prepared. Everyone could see that Matteo was in great form, so it’s very frustrating that our race ended this way. As a team, we were well positioned throughout. The riders did a great job keeping Matteo in a good position all day. The goal was to be among the first to crest the Gulperberg and the Kruisberg. He looked fresh on those climbs, but unfortunately he crashed shortly afterward. That’s extremely disappointing."

This incident puts a major question mark over Jorgenson's immediate schedule. The 24-year-old had made the Ardennes Classics a primary target for his spring season. After performing well in the Italian races earlier in the year, he completely bypassed the cobbled classics in Flanders and Roubaix, opting instead for an altitude training camp to ensure he was in peak condition for the Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.