2024 was a breakthrough season for Matteo Jorgenson, with the 25-year-old American winning Paris-Nice and Doire de Vaanderen, building the consistency needed to dream big with a Grand Tour target ahead.

Jorgenson moved from Movistar to Visma Lease-a-Bike for 2024, and his results and performance immediately took off with the Dutch team.

“This year has been a dream come true in many ways,” Jorgenson said in an interview published by Visma-Lease a Bike. Thanks to the team's hard work and my commitment to stick to the plan as much as possible, I was able to push the limits I didn't know were possible."

‘I am very grateful to the team for their hard work,’ Jorgenson said.

“This year I realized that my body could perform at a high level for three weeks. That's something I wasn't sure about before.”

Jorgenson is known for his dedication and determination. As a teenager, he worked hard to get into a European development team and then invested much of his Movistar salary in high altitude training camps and personal margins.

He received special support at Visma-Lease a Bike and accepted to work with the team's bio-mechanics to adjust his bike setup and position.

“I needed to forget about Muscle Memory or break that pattern.

Off the bike, he also grew a lot.

“I got to know myself better. I came to understand what it takes to be successful.”

Jorgenson is a classic rider and stage racer. He won Paris-Nice after a battle with Remco Evenpeor, and stepped up his game when team leader Wout Van Aert crashed at speed in the Douart de Vlaanderen.

“The highlight of the year was definitely crossing the finish line in Nice. As I passed my apartment, I realized I had won Paris-Nice. It was a totally unexpected victory and I may never be able to surpass that feeling. It still brings a smile to my face just to think about it.

The Idaho native confirmed his stage racing talent by finishing second overall in the Criterium du Dauphiné. He then served as a dedicated supporter of Vingegaard in the Tour de France, discovering his own consistency in the Grand Tour while finishing eighth overall, the best finish by an American in the past decade.

“In the Plateau de Beille, we did our best as a team to win the Tour again, but we were not strong enough,” Jorgenson admitted.

Although the losses in Vingegaard and Vimaris a Bike were painful, the Tour was a journey of discovery for Jorgenson. The team won three Grand Tours in 2023, but was hit by crashes, illness, and the loss of Primoš Roglic to rival Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.

Jorgenson will probably continue to support Vingegaard in July, but he has personal ambitions for the future in Grand Tours and is not afraid to talk about them.

“One day I want to fight for the overall in a Grand Tour.

“I say that because this year I have changed my perspective a bit. There wasn't a single bad day during the Tour. Of course, there were some tough moments, but there were no cracks. I was very comfortable, especially in the third week.

“So, one day, I want to go for it. I don't know when that moment will come. I'm not in a hurry. Right now I can't wait for the start of the 2025 season. We have work to do.”