Boise High alum riding momentum of first professional win into second Tour de France
It took some time for Boise High alum Matteo Jorgenson to believe he could succeed as a professional cyclist.
But the soon-to-be 24-year-old has no reason to doubt any longer.
Jorgenson won his first professional race at the Tour of Oman in February and will compete in his second Tour de France starting Saturday in Bilbao, Spain. He was selected as one of Movistar Team’s eight riders after finishing 21st overall in his 2022 debut. He will ride alongside teammates Enric Mas, Nelson Oliveira, Antonio Pedrero, Ruben Guerreiro, Gregor Mühlberger, Gorka Izagirre and Alex Aranburu. The team was officially announced Monday.
“This team, honestly since the first year I joined, were trying to convince me I could win races and I didn’t even believe that myself, I didn’t even believe I deserved to be professional,” Jorgenson told Cycling Weekly after he won the Tour of Oman. “It was a process kind of convincing myself and doing races and being up there enough to believe it. So finally today my dream came true.”
Although Jorgenson did not win a stage in last year’s Tour de France, he came very close — with fourth-place finishes in the 10th and 16th stages, along with a fifth-place showing in Stage 13.
His confidence has grown by leaps and bounds since, as evidenced by his Oman win. He placed fifth at Paris-Nice, earning the distinction of best young rider. He was fourth at the E3 Saxo Classic and second at the Tour de Romandie.
“Last year, Jorgenson became known for battling again and again for a win that seemingly wouldn’t come — as demonstrated by three big days in the break and three top fives at the Tour de France,” CyclingNews.com wrote in May. “Now, he’s among the contenders in every race he starts, regardless of terrain.”
Jorgenson got his start in cycling at the age of 7 with the Boise Young Rider Development Squad. BYRDS is in the 24th year offering Treasure Valley youth access and support to participate in the sport of cycling, according to its website.
“I am super proud to be from Boise and come from such a cycling-friendly city,” Jorgenson told the Idaho Statesman last year. “It was an amazing place to grow up and start cycling with BYRDS. I hope to represent it well.”
In his fourth season as a professional, Jorgenson is now a well-known name in the cycling world. He is even being considered as an up-and-comer in this year’s Tour de France by some major publications.
Men’s Journal included Jorgenson as one of its five most buzz-worthy cyclists for this year’s event, the premier professional race.
“Looking for an up-and-comer American cyclist to root for in this year’s Tour de France?” Men’s Journal wrote. “Keep a close watch on Matteo Jorgenson, who races on the Movistar Team. The racer didn’t notch any stage wins last year, but had a promising debut in 2022 with a few winning breakaways and some fourth and fifth place stage finishes.”
