Matteo Jorgenson Attacked and Threatened by Rival Racer in Ugly Post-Stage Altercation

Matteo Jorgenson was reportedly attacked by Javier Romo when a racing incident extended into the team paddock on Saturday at Tirreno-Adriatico.

According to Het Laatste Nieuws, Jorgenson was grabbed by the neck and verbally threatened by Romo outside the Visma-Lease a Bike bus in the aftermath of a gruelling ride across the hills of Le Marche.

The incident was only cut short when Romo was pulled away by his Movistar team manager Max Sciandri.

According to HLN, Jorgenson shouted “Adios” in a taunting tone as he clambered back into his bus.

A Visma-Lease a Bike spokesperson brushed off the incident Monday when contacted by Velo. “It was just a race incident, nothing special,” they said.

Velo has also reached out to Movistar for comment.

Jorgenson raced for Movistar through to 2023. Romo joined the Spanish squad in 2024.

HLN states the beef began Saturday afternoon in an off-camera incident.

Visma-Lease a Bike was active for Jorgenson throughout Tirreno’s sixth stage as the 26-year-old looked to improve on his then-third-place GC position. HLN suggests an unseen maneuver by the American got Romo into a rage.

Whatever happened on Saturday, Visma seemed keen to play it down when contacted by Velo.

Nonetheless, it’s a shocking reminder of how minor spats can easily spill over in the tightly wound peloton.

And this wasn’t Jorgenson’s first public rodeo, either. The Idahoan was also caught in a flare-up with Tadej Pogačar in a feed-zone incident at the Tour de France.

Jorgenson on final podium in Tirreno after ‘first ever sprint win’

Jorgenson ultimately finished third on Saturday’s relentlessly lumpy stage after he and GC leader Isaac del Toro traded attacks through a spicy hilltop finale.

Romo finished 14th on the day, 50 seconds later.

The “Killer Bee” then moved up to second overall in Sunday’s final stage after he won an intermediate sprint courtesy of a full leadout by team Visma-Lease a Bike.

The bonus primes were good for Jorgenson to overhaul Giulio Pellizzari in the standings and finish second behind only Del Toro.

“I think it was the first ever sprint I’ve won in my whole career,” Jorgenson joked after the stage. “We did a good job.”

Second at Tirreno-Adriatico rounds out a standout early block of racing for Jorgenson as he follows a risky new schedule through the spring.

He opted against defending his title at Paris-Nice – a race his teammate Jonas Vingegaard won instead – to team up with Wout van Aert through a string of Italian races.

“I’m really happy with second place in the end. We came here to win, for sure. I would have really liked to win that trident, but Del Toro was stronger than me at every turn, even in the time trial,” Jorgenson told Cycling Pro Net on Sunday. “There was no place I could come around him.

“I think second place was the best I could do,” Jorgenson said.

Next for Jorgenson and Van Aert?

A clash with Pogačar, Del Toro, and Mathieu van der Poel at Milan-San Remo this Saturday.