Jorgenson continues to deliver for a battered Visma | Lease a Bike, which also sees Kuss struggle in the Dauphiné

At Visma | Lease a Bike, there was a reason to smile again during Friday's sixth stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné. After losing two Tour de France key riders, Steven Kruijswijk and Dylan van Baarle, to a crash on Thursday, it was Matteo Jorgenson who once again demonstrated his strength. His performance was much needed, as his teammate Sepp Kuss had an off day.

Jorgenson finished fifth in the first mountain finish, just seventeen seconds behind winner Primoz Roglic. With this, the 24-year-old American defended his third place in the GC, now 58 seconds behind Roglic. "I think I was good, it's a positive signal," Jorgenson said right after crossing the finish line, speaking to Eurosport among others.

Having already won Dwars door Vlaanderen and Paris-Nice this year, Jorgenson remains the consistent factor for Visma | Lease a Bike amidst all the setbacks. "I was on the limit, but that’s to be expected. It was logical for BORA-hansgrohe to push the pace, I wanted to ride conservatively and see how I felt, especially with what's coming this weekend. Sepp didn't have his best day, and with Steven and Dylan gone, we were a small team. Tiesj (Benoot) and Koen (Bouwman) did great work, and we will keep doing our best with the team we have."

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Kuss has yet to show his Vuelta-winning legs

Kuss finished the sixth stage around fifteen minutes behind the leaders, remaining somewhat anonymous in 2024. The 2023 Vuelta winner had not shown his form from last year in the Algarve, Catalonia, or the Basque Country, and this trend continued in the Dauphiné. "I'm recovering from an illness and still trying to find my rhythm," Kuss explained to various media outlets after the race. "Hopefully, I can improve this weekend and help Matteo. He's already won Paris-Nice, and although this is a different race, he's proving what he's capable of here. He can compete for the win here."

Kuss is not worried about his own form, which he attributes to past experiences. "I've never really had a good Dauphiné," he said with a smile. Team director Grischa Niermann remains hopeful, as stated in a press release from the team: "It's very unfortunate what happened to Dylan and Steven, especially now that their Tour participation is jeopardized. But this Dauphiné isn't over for us. There are still five motivated riders here who will give it their all. Matteo is in an excellent position to enter the final stages. He has already shown good form this week."