"E3 leader Jorgenson can aim for grand tour podium," says Visma | LaB, also sharing update on Vingegaard

The E3 Saxo Classic on Friday marks Wout van Aert's return to competitive cycling. The Visma | Lease a Bike rider will race again after altitude training in Tenerife. The team will immediately push him to the front, but they have multiple options: Matteo Jorgenson will be the co-leader. Meanwhile, the team has shared an update on Jonas Vingegaard's situation.

Van Aert will not be the sole leader in Harelbeke. "That’s logical because for Wout, it’s his first race since altitude camp," sports director Arthur van Dongen told Daniel Benson. "He feels good, but still, you need to see how you are for your first race after traveling." Van Aert traveled to Tenerife at the beginning of this month, where he prepared for the rest of his season together with Tiesj Benoot and Wilco Kelderman. He recently received considerable criticism for his preparation for the spring.

The 30-year-old Belgian has not yet accumulated many kilometers in the legs, certainly not in the recent past. That is why Visma | Lease a Bike also targets Jorgenson in the E3. "With Matteo, he’s in good shape, and we hope to have both leaders and play cards with Tiesj Benoot and Dylan van Baarle during the race. Normally, in E3 Saxo Classic, there are no surprises. Everyone knows where it all happens, and it’s such a hard race that the legs will decide."

The 25-year-old American has continued to progress this year and recently won Paris-Nice. In addition to his classic legs, the team also wants to use him as a leader in the grand tours. But probably not this year: he will mainly ride in the service of Jonas Vingegaard. "Maybe he can be very important to Jonas and the team this year. Maybe we can play more cards, but we can decide later, depending on how Jonas develops. In the future, even though he is young, Matteo can aim for a grand tour podium. First, we must get through this year, but he can be a serious option next year."

Read more below the photo!

Jorgenson was the strongest in Paris-Nice for the second year in a row.

Will Vingegaard race the Dauphine? "Has to fit into the preparation"

Vingegaard is still recovering from the injuries he sustained at Paris-Nice. "The recovery is going well," Grischa Niermann says about the condition of his team leader. "We have to make new plans because he was supposed to go to Catalonia, take a long break, and then build up to the Tour. Next week, we will decide how it will go and whether we will add another race. There are options on the calendar, but our primary goal is the Tour. It has to fit into the preparation."

So when he will return to racing remains to be seen. "He is already on the bike but not fit enough to race. We are taking it one day at a time. We don't want to see him lining up at the start as quickly as possible; we are giving him time." What is certain is that the former Tour winner will be going up in altitude at least twice in preparation for the Tour de France. "He will spend time at high altitude in May, in the Sierra Nevada, and in June in Tignes with the entire team."

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