With his second GC victory, Jorgenson confirms his status as leader at Visma: "This is definitely a relief"

Nobody outside of Europe has ever managed to win Paris-Nice two years in a row. Until now, because Matteo Jorgenson has done it. The American from Visma | Lease a Bike showed that the best defense is a good offense, leaving his rivals behind in the French race's difficult final stage. As was evident in the flash interview, a heavy burden slipped from the shoulders of the always-so-cool climber.

"This is definitely a relief," said Jorgenson after successfully defending his title. "A lot of pressure has been lifted, a lot of stress washed off me. I have been thinking about this week for the past four months, so it's great to do it, knowing I gave it my all." He took the lead in the third stage, after the team time trial, and after briefly handing it over to teammate Jonas Vingegaard, he claimed the yellow jersey again in the fifth stage, holding on to it until the end.

It was a dominant week for the American: he was constantly in control. "I'm glad it looked that way, he sighs. I have to say a big thank you to my team. They have given me such fantastic support this week. Today, I was alone, but we knew that would be the case with Jonas in the mountains. But for the rest of the week, we got all the benefits of our team, especially the fact that we are so strong on the flat. Tactics and positioning: everyone was 100% committed from day one. That feels great, and I am so happy to be on this team. Now, I have won Paris-Nice two years in a row, which is just unbelievable."

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"This is turning into an American race," Jorgenson says with a wink

The American celebration was complete with the victory of fellow American Magnus Sheffield in the final stage. They know each other very well: they live in Nice and often train together. "Yes, it's very cool. Magnus and I were on the same junior team. It was great to see him riding right in front of me, even though I did everything I could to catch up to him', Jorgenson laughs. 'But I couldn't. I'm happy that he won; he deserves it. He was very strong the whole week. I think Paris-Nice is turning into an American race," he says with a wink.

Jorgenson never once seemed to panic. Was there a moment when he struggled? "Of course. Yesterday, on the way to La Loge des Gardes, I suffered enormously from the cold for the first time in my career. Maybe I'm too skinny, but the cold hit me. I wore ski gloves but still couldn't feel my hands and feet. It wasn't an easy week, with each stage offering something different. I saw it as a series of one-day races, but now I'm going to sleep for a good week here in Nice. Will we see the best version of Matteo Jorgenson in 2025? 'I'll let the fans decide," he concludes with another wink.

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Course and results Paris-Nice 2025 | American celebration: Sheffield wins final stage, Jorgenson takes overall victory for the second year in a row

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