READY FOR BIG ‘FESTIVALS’. Very few times comes an injury like such a blessing in disguise as it did for Matteo Jorgenson when he suffered with problems to his knee after the 2022 Paris-Nice. The American, set to ride the Giro again that year, saw his schedule changed as he made it into the Tour de France roster, a race that would end up becoming his first big showcase to the masses. Wearer of the white jersey in both the ‘Course to the Sun’ and the Critérium du Dauphiné, the Idaho native was twice 4th and once 5th into three top-level breakaways, where he got to show his great class as he had already did in both one-week stageraces -8th in the 2021 Paris-Nice; 2nd and 3rd in stages of the Tours of Britain and Pologne- and hard classics -has raced Liège, Sanremo and Roubaix-. He dreams of chasing stage wins in the WorldTour, and it would be great to see him opening his palmarès with the Movistar Team in 2023.

PURE COMMITMENT. Jorgenson perfectly depicts how often it becomes really hard for US riders to gain a place in the European peloton. After many efforts -and several journeys to the continent- with local outfits Byrds, Hot Tubes and Jelly Belly, and many e-mails every night to every single development squad in Europe, Matteo ended up at the AG2R Chambéry team, the development squad of the French WorldTour team, where he obtained great results: winner of the Points jersey at the Tour de l’Avenir, where he even stood in 2nd overall before the last weekend of racing, and 4th at the Ronde de l’Isard, the biggest Pyrenees race for U23 competitors. That’s how Matteo earned a place in the WorldTour with the Movistar Team.

JUST LIKE HOME. Jorgenson’s ability for languages and open mind have helped him fit splendidly into an organisation that will feature two Americans in its 2023 roster. The other one, signed last season, is a big friend of Matteo’s: Will Barta, hailing from the same Boise, Idaho he comes from. He’s someone Jorgenson has shared cycling clubs since he was a kid, one that he always kept as a reference for his own growth, and the man he’s shared an apartment with in Nice since they both turned pros in Europe. He’s even willing to write in his name at the ballots if the chance arises!