"This is my fourth bike and they built it up this morning" - Matteo Jorgenson praises Visma mechanics' fast response in crisis
Cycling
Team Visma | Lease a Bike saw a disaster unfold right in front of their eyes at Vuelta a Espana. No, Jonas Vingegaard didn't crash out of the race, but it wouldn't take much more to see the whole team leave Vuelta in team cars without and bicycles on roof. The Dutch has been victim of a robbery on the night from Sunday to Monday with 18 race bicycles stolen. For example Matteo Jorgenson's bicycle used in third stage didn't even yesterday...
"The funny [strange] part is, they [the mechanics] didn't understand how they were stolen because they were up until 1.30 still working on bikes last night, because the power went out [in the hotel] so they already had a lot of problems," Jorgenson explained told reporters at the start of stage 3 in San Maurizio Canavese. "They were surprised to wake up in the morning and see all the bikes were gone."
"They worked really hard, and I can tell you that without them I would not have a bike - I do not know how to work on the bikes."
Jorgenson's words echoed those of team boss Richard Plugge to TV earlier in the morning, saying, "The mechanics have done an incredible job building all the bikes and getting all the bikes we need to be ready. They'll be here soon. Luckily, we'll have enough bikes to start."
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Only 'fourth bike' for Jorgenson
Multiple riders were completely without a bike in the morning, including Jorgenson. All three of his race bicycles were stolen last night and the bike he raced on Monday had to be put together from spare parts lying around the bus at a last minute.
"No, I'm not on my number one race bike, this is I think my fourth bike that they built up this morning," Jorgenson confirmed. "They stole 18 bikes, I think they left three of the race bikes and a couple of other spare bikes." In the case of Zingle he said, "they actually left no bikes at all".
It was an unsettling sight at the Visma team car during today's stage with nearly empty roof
"It was an interesting morning to wake up to," Jorgenson said with more than a touch of irony. "For a lot of the staff it was chaotic this morning, the mechanics were trying their best to build up the bikes. But they got it done and at least we have a bike to race today and more will come in the next few days."
With bikes now up and running, the life should be almost back to normal again. "It should be. I tested the bike out this morning, we all kind of were doing some rides by buses to see if the bolts were tight," Jorgenson said. "So it should be all good to go."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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