Jorgenson feels compelled to respond to 'criticism for continuing to race' after horror-crash Van Aert: "It's a sh*tty situation"

Dwars door Vlaanderen 2024 was a race of two tales: the crash involving, among others, Wout van Aert, Mads Pedersen, and Jasper Stuyven, but also the battle for the victory of Visma | Lease a Bike with Matteo Jorgenson. The eloquent American shared his version of the story at the press conference afterwards but also took the time to respond via his social media

First, let's look at his three posts on social media, as Jorgenson felt the need to respond the morning after his win. Besides congratulations, the American also received unpleasant messages in his inbox. "I want to wish all the fallen riders the best, no matter how severe the injuries. Learning at the finish line that no one was critically injured was a huge relief. I witnessed the crash first-hand and braced for the worst."

"Regarding the criticism I received for continuing to race after the fall," he then takes a notable turn: "I was in shock for a few seconds, having narrowly escaped the crash. I tried hard to get myself out of there as we headed to the Kanarieberg, feeling it was my duty to honor the effort we all put in. All the hours, the planning, the long nights, and early mornings of the staff not to mention the 150 kilometers our teammates battled through the wind. Were we supposed to throw all that in the trash? We had already lost our leader and the heart of the team."

"I'm proud that Tiesj (Benoot, ed.) and I kept fighting, and I hope we honored Wout van Aert, with something he would have wanted to do. We also want to make him proud on Sunday," he concludes. At the press conference, there was not a bad word about Jorgenson's victory, who was the first to put his win into perspective after the massive crash of his team leader.

Matteo, it's a very nice win, but one with mixed feelings.

"That's right. It's a shitty situation because that fall was really harsh. I was just behind it, but then decided to do the best I could under the circumstances. When I saw Wout go down, I kinda knew we wouldn't be seeing him back in the race. It was a serious crash. Tiesj and I were still in it, so we felt we had to give it a shot. I immediately let Tiesj know, but shifting gears mentally was tough. I'm not going to sugarcoat it, but we had to give it our all. Winning ended up being a nice tribute to Wout, or at least we tried to make it one."

As an eyewitness: what exactly happened at the moment of the crash?

"It was the race dynamic where things just happen, in my opinion. In these races, there are certain points where everyone wants to secure their spot at the front. So, we were all fighting for it, and some guys got tangled up at high speed. Then, there was nothing more to be done, from my perspective. I don't think it was anyone's fault."

There are now calls for this road to be removed from the race. Do you agree with that?

"I don't know. There are countless roads in Flanders that are dangerous, but it's also part of the race. I mean, part of the sport, because we do go fast and we all want to be at the front."

Do you like racing in Flanders?

"Absolutely. It's very dynamic and constantly changing, the roads too. Now a narrow road, then a wide one... it lends itself to great race dynamics and I really enjoy it."

How did you all prepare for this race together, after all the bad luck you've had? You yourself also had a fall after the E3 Saxo Classic?

"That's right, but it was just a minor fall. We've had our share of bad luck, it's been quite turbulent in recent weeks. The approach was the same as now: we wanted to make the best of it, and that was all we could do. Our substitutes are also very strong, despite those changes we had a very strong team here. So, I'm pleased that we managed to keep the spirit up, especially after all that bad luck."

How important was Wout as a leader in that?

"It's everyone's responsibility to keep the positivity. In the past few days, we've had quite a few guys with bandages at breakfast, even on the morning of Dwars door Vlaanderen three guys had to be bandaged up. At those moments, you have to keep the vibe up."

Are you now the team leader this Sunday?

"That decision is up to the team directors. We have to adjust our plans again, right?"

Finally, a side note: you've also secured your ticket for the Olympic Games now?

"That's right. That's how the qualification works in the United States. My overall victory in Paris-Nice didn't earn me a ticket, but now I have one. I was also surprised about that, I looked it up the Monday after Paris-Nice. But now I can say I'm going to the Olympics. As an American, the Olympics are the biggest thing you can achieve as an athlete, maybe after the Super Bowl (laughs). This Dwars door Vlaanderen might not mean much to people in my home country, but I really enjoy these races. I have a lot of fun and enjoy it immensely, even after this victory. Despite everything that happened, I can still enjoy it, definitely. These things don't happen very often."