Matteo Jorgenson sat alongside Jonas Vingegaard in the Visma-Lease A Bike Tour de France press conference a day ahead of the Grand Départ on Friday morning, playing a protective, supportive and student role in the face of the many media questions.
It's a similar role he will play during the race, while learning how to become a future Grand Tour contender in his own right.
The 2025 Tour de France will be another journey of discovery for the American after Visma-Lease a Bike extended his contract until the end of 2029. Jorgenson is likely to have a Grand Tour leadership opportunity in 2026, perhaps at the Giro d'Italia or Vuelta a España.
If João Almeida is Tadej Pogačar's understudy and a possible podium finisher in his own right, so too is Jorgenson for Visma-Lease A Bike.
"Every Grand Tour I do is a learning process, but this one, especially so," Jorgenson said. "I think learning from Jonas and just doing a Grand Tour with GC in mind, but without the same pressure Jonas has, is helpful.
"But it's all with the goal in mind of winning the Tour. I can focus on my job, and then once my job is done, ride to the line, as fast as I can."
Giro d'Italia champion Simon Yates and 2023 Vuelta a España winner Sepp Kuss will have similar key roles supporting Vingegaard in the mountains, while Jorgenson's Classics skills and time trial ability should help him stay in the GC during the opening 10 days across northern France.
"I think we have a Classics team with a few climbers along for the ride," Jorgenson joked about Visma-Lease A Bike's Tour line-up.
In addition to the three climbers in Vingegaard's mountain train, the Dutch team's eight-rider squad includes Wout van Aert, Eduardo Affini, Victor Campenaerts, and Tiesj Benoot.
"The key to this Tour de France is getting through these first 10 days, treating them like Classics and trying to take advantage there," Jorgenson explained.
"Once we get into the mountains, it'll be more simple. Our strength lies in our ability to ride one-day races and be in position together and make things happen at the front of the race."
Jorgenson pushed back against a suggestion that the Visma-Lease A Bike team has too many rouleurs and not enough climbers, where Vingegaard is expected to go mano-a-mano with reigning champion Tadej Pogačar.
"I would say we have plenty of climbers too. I think that won't be an issue," Jorgneson said.
"With Sepp, Simon, me, and Jonas, I think we can make a lot happen in the mountains."
Jorgenson won Dwars door Vlaanderen in 2024 and the past two editions of Paris-Nice. He was sixth at this year's key Tour warm-up, the Critérium du Dauphiné, where Vingegaard finished second behind Pogačar.
Vingegaard boldly suggested he was "stronger than ever" as the pre-Tour mind games began to play out with Pogačar. Jorgenson also played along.
"I also feel like I'm in the best shape that I've had in my life," he said confidently.
"It's hard to know until we get into the race, but at the Dauphine I felt a level up from last year. It's hard to compare to last year, because the field was so different this year. There was a lot higher level on the start list. But physically, I feel better than last year."
Jorgenson finished eighth in the 2024 Tour de France, 26 minutes down on Pogačar and 20 minutes down on Vingegaard. We can expect him to be a lot closer this year, both physically and on time.
