Matteo Jorgenson could be “even better” than five-time Tour de France winner Miguel Induráin, Stephen Roche has said.
Speaking to Cycling Weekly at Paris-Nice, the Irish triple-crown holder compared last week's winner, Jorgenson, to the Spaniard and argued that the two have a very similar riding style.
“I’m going to contradict myself here and say he hasn’t got the build for it, although neither did Miguel Induráin,” Roche said when asked if he felt the American could challenge at a future Tour de France. "When you see what he was doing on that climb when Lenny Martinez won the stage last week, he drilled it there.
“If he’d ridden to win the stage then he’d have won the stage. He rode to put a gap between him and the other riders, he didn’t ride with the intention of winning otherwise he might have kept a little bit back for the sprint at the end. But he rode from the front and everyone was absolutely swinging behind him. Ok, it’s early season, it’s cold, but nevertheless he’s doing incredible performances at the moment.”
Roche won Paris-Nice in 1981 aged 22, before developing into a Grand Tour contender later in his career, winning the 'triple crown' of the Tour, Giro d'Italia and World Championships in 1987.
Asked if he felt Jorgenson was similar to Induráin in more ways than just their physical size, Roche said: “Definitely, but he [Jorgenson] could be even better. I think tactically this guy is a lot better than Induráin. Induráin was the kind of guy who had a big team around him and then he came out at the end and put down the power.
"This guy is very good, his approach is very elegant on the bike, and I think he’s a guy that can do climb after climb. He’s done it for [Jonas] Vingegaard before, so I think he’s got a lot going for him.”
“Those other big guys are pocket rockets, whereas this guy is a powerhouse,” Roche continued. “But this guy doesn’t try to follow them, he just rides his own tempo. It’s a bit like me when I was against Pedro Delgado. If I had gone after Delgado every time he went on the attack then I’d never have seen the summit of so many climbs.
"I always knew that I was better just making my own tempo and that would ultimately help me match him. This guy is the same. People used to say about me that I was like a TGV, if I got a gap, then nobody could close it. Jorgenson is similar.”
On Wednesday it was announced that Jonas Vingegaard was out Volta a Catalunya due to the injuries he picked up in a crash at Paris-Nice. The Dane now has just the Critérium du Dauphiné on his race calendar before this year’s Tour de France.
Matteo Jorgenson has dismissed questions regarding the Tour and whether he felt he could step up if Vingegaard’s fitness should prove to be an issue. Roche argued that the American’s words were a clever attempt to keep any pressure away from himself after winning a second WorldTour stage race.
“I’m sure Visma will be very happy to have someone like him riding the way he is riding at the moment.” he said. “He’s been so impressive. And with Vingegaard slightly injured, I’m not saying he could replace him but nevertheless, it’s good having these kinds of riders available to you that you could use in his absence now and again.”
