Matteo Jorgenson leads changed Visma | Lease a Bike at Ardèche and Drôme Classic

Matteo Jorgenson leads Visma | Lease a Bike at the Faun-Ardèche Classic (Saturday) and the Faun-Drôme Classic (Sunday). The 26-year-old American starts his season here, sharing leadership duties with Ben Tulett and newcomer Louis Barré. 

Notably, Wilco Kelderman and Steven Kruijswijk have been replaced by Anton Schiffer and Davide Piganzoli compared to the provisional start list. Both riders were active in the UAE Tour until last weekend but will not start in France. Alongside the five riders already mentioned – Barré, Jorgenson, Piganzoli, Schiffer, and Tulett – Tim Rex and British talent from the development squad Will Smith complete the team.

This marks Jorgenson’s season debut. He is skipping the Flemish classics entirely this year to focus on the climbing classics. He is also racing Strade Bianche next week. The one-day races in Ardèche and Drôme serve as the opening weekend for riders targeting the climbing classics. "I decided early on to communicate my plans to the team so they were aware of my ambitions. Luckily, they supported the idea," he said earlier in an interview with us.