After racing against and losing out to Tadej Pogačar at the Tour of Flanders, Critérium du Daphiné and Tour de France, Matteo Jorgenson couldn't help but admit that he was relieved not to see the world champion on the start list for the Vuelta a España.
Jorgenson makes up part of a very strong Visma-Lease a Bike team riding in support of Tour runner-up Jonas Vingegaard on the roads from Turin to Madrid, which kicks off this Saturday. He will be one of the Dane's key domestiques, with his versatility making him a valuable asset across all terrains.
The Visma pair won't have the challenge of defeating the all-conquering Pogačar as they have done at the biggest races this season, with Juan Ayuso and João Almeida taking up the reins for UAE in his absence.
“Uh, is it a relief? Yeah, actually, yeah,” said Jorgenson, speaking to Indeleiderstrui, before clarifying the impact Pogačar's presence typically brings.
"The race will be very different without him because every rider will ride differently without him. If Pogačar is in, he forces everyone to race differently, whether you’re going for a stage win or the GC.
"I’m looking forward to it, it’s not often that I get the chance to race without him in the race. I’m going to enjoy it."
Vingegaard was asked a similar question, speaking at his pre-Vuelta press conference on Thursday, but wasn't as explicit as Jorgenson when speaking about Pogačar not taking on the Vuelta a originally planned.
"I mean, of course it's, it's always nice to race against Tadej on one hand, but also on the other hand, it's also nice to race where he's not sometimes," said Vingegaard.
"Of course, you want to win no matter if he's he's there or not. But, of course, it makes it nicer to win when he's in the race as well."
Visma-Lease a Bike will start in Turin as favourites, with Vingegaard stronger than both Ayuso and Almeida in theory. But a lot can happen during the three weeks of a Grand Tour, making the support of riders like Jorgenson and compatriot Sepp Kuss vital to the Dane ending up on the top step of podium when they make it to Madrid.
Jorgenson doesn't know exactly where his form is at, having not raced since the Tour de France, but after a rest and reset after July, he's ready to find out how his body reacts and performs as he competes at two Grand Tours in the same season for the first time.
"Preparing for the Tour de France is very intense, with several months of training. It's very different for the Vuelta; I've trusted that my Tour preparation will be sufficient. I've mainly focused on getting my head and mind back to where I want them to be," Jorgenson said.
"I really have to see how it goes; I have no idea how my body will react. Riding for the GC is a goal of mine these days, and the team knows that and supports me in that. So this Vuelta could be a good opportunity, but we'll have to see how good I'll be and how the race unfolds."
In terms of leadership, Visma's Head of Racing, Grischa Niermann, was clear when he spoke alongside the Dane during Thursday's press conference that there are no illusions when it comes to leadership – Vingegaard is their number one.
"We have a clear leader here. That's Jonas," said Niermann bluntly.
"Of course, we have very strong guys, luckily, not only Sep and Matteo, but but also them too. How we will play things in our tactics, you will find out in the race, but our leader [Vingegaard] is sitting next to me, and that's also very clear."
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