"We just have to focus on our performance” – Kuss and Jorgenson ready to put everything on the line for Vingegaard
Cycling
Team Visma | Lease a Bike knows it’s playing from behind.
After ten stages of the 2025 Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar holds a 1:17 lead
over Jonas Vingegaard, and while the Pyrenees loom, the Slovenian hasn't
blinked.
On Stage 10, Matteo Jorgenson made a bold move, trying to
dislodge Pogaxar on the final climb, but the yellow jersey held firm. Speaking
to CyclingNews, Jorgenson summed up the opening phase of the race with a
mixture of realism and optimism.
“These first 10 days have been explosive, pretty stressful.
We've only had one mountain stage, but the gaps are already pretty big in the
GC, so I think it's gonna be one of the hardest Tours ever.”
Despite a stage win from Simon Yates and consistent attacks,
the breakthrough hasn’t come yet. “We tried our best these first 10 days to
find an opportunity; we didn't quite find it, but we'll keep going this way,”
Jorgenson said. “Thankfully, we brought some very good climbers along for the
ride.”
That depth, Jorgenson, Sepp Kuss, Wout van Aert, and Simon
Yates, will be critical in the high mountains. The team remains optimistic,
even if UAE has been immovable so far.
“There are 1000 scenarios that can happen on a day like
this, but first of all, it was amazing that Simon could win the stage,” Kuss
told reporters. “UAE rode a strong race, and we couldn't crack them just yet,
but it was nice to try.”
“Similar to other years, now we're definitely more the
underdogs, so we have to be a bit more creative than just going as fast as we
can up the last climb,” he said. “I think every team has their different
tactics: some stick more to the book, some not, but in the end, on stages like
this, you can be a bit more creative.”
They’ve yet to find the weak spot, but Visma is still
hunting.
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“You never know [when you will crack them], on paper, it's
not so easy, but you just have to wait for the moment,” Kuss added. “They're
riding really well, really strong, and they have a great team. We just have to
focus on our performance, see what we can get out of ourselves and go from
there.”
Despite the pressure, morale within the team is high. “We
were always where we needed to be together, and it was a pleasure,” said Kuss.
“I'm also having a bunch of fun with the group, and we're laughing a lot, so
it's a really good atmosphere.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as 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. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
- they can sign any 100 of top riders today but Pogi will win over Remco any time at the TDF unless something goes wrongabstractengineer10-11-2026
- the time for a GC rider to retire is when they cannot win stages, or have a significant level drop like from winner/podium into top 5/10 consistently. Roglic is still competitive and Froome raced even though he became pack fodder.abstractengineer10-11-2026
- He should be in a different team. It was detrimental. For them it does not matter if he does not develop. He should have gone to a team where they need him to succeed.abstractengineer10-11-2026
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