Every point matters when it comes to WorldTour survival and as the fight intensifies in the dying embers of this racing season, the UCI’s relegation system is affecting their own Road World Championships. Movistar rider Matteo Jorgenson is the latest rider who has been stopped from racing in Australia by his team.
“I wanted to and I got selected, but the team can’t let me go,” he told Cyclingnews before stage 3 of the Tour of Britain. It is the same scenario for his veteran teammate Alejandro Valverde. Movistar currently sit approximately 300 points above Lotto Soudal and therefore potential relegation, though they will gain a precious buffer if Enric Mas finishes on the Vuelta a España podium.
“I totally understand – we’re in a situation where I’m in the top 10 in points for the team, so for me to go to Worlds would be losing two or three weeks of racing … I’d probably lose seven or eight one-day races, which are super crucial in the points battle. It’s a bit of a shame, but I just want to make the best of it and try to win a race.”
The genial Idaho man instead has a string of Italian 1.Pro and 1.1 one-day races on his schedule. Victory in one would be worth 200 and 125 points, respectively.
“The relegation system was built to bring big teams to the smaller races, to try to force us to want to go to small races in Belgium or Italy, that before we had no reason to go to,” Jorgenson said.
“It was built with good intentions, but to go forward and use it for something completely different? To put teams at risks? I don’t think a lot of people realise when teams get relegated that these sponsors pay to be WorldTour. There’s no security in a team continuing once you bring them down to Pro Conti.
“In the end, you’re maybe causing teams to end. It’s a hard situation. But that’s the way it is and we did know about it, there’s no excuse. We’ll try to make the best of it.”
It has been a season of two halves for the third-year pro. A torn hamstring at Paris-Nice meant three months away from racing, but the break allowed him to build up to the Tour de France, where he came close to a stage victory. Jorgenson had two fourth places – on stage 10 in Megève, metres behind Magnus Cort, and stage 16 into Foix, where Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier Tech) won solo.
“It was a good Tour. After some reflection, it was super positive. There wasn’t much more I could have done. Trying to watch those stages back, I think I did a good job and it was complicated trying to win,” he…
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