Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) pushed the limits in his pursuit of victory to follow Tadej Pogachar (UAE Team Emirates) in the Grand Prix of Monreal.

Pogachar was steering teammate Rafaou Maïka on the Côte Camillien Houde climb with 23.3 km to go.

After five grueling hours of racing in the heat of Montréal, the American tried everything he could, but the length of the bike opened up quickly. After only a few hundred meters, Pogachar was gone and the race was as good as over.

“I tried to stay with Pogachar on the climb with two laps to go, and that's when my legs gave out,” Jorgenson told Cycling News about the last few laps.

“But it was worth a try because following him was the way to win. So I was trying to win the race.

Jorgenson joined the chase group with teammates Teesuí Benoot and Bart Lemmen after UAE Team Emirates had ridden most of the 209 km.

However, this did not last long, as the Visma team had to sprint for third place behind Pogachar and Pero Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), with Benoot finishing in seventh place in the final sprint.

“I tried to get on the podium, but I was pretty much marked. I tried to make the podium, but I was pretty well marked.”

Despite finishing 12th in Montreal and 35th in Quebec on Friday, Jorgenson emphasized how he is on the right track for the world championships in Zurich, where he will take on the road on September 29.

He will be part of the “super strong” U.S. men's elite team, while others in Canada, notably Nielson Powles (EF Education Easypost) and Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) will also start in Switzerland.

“It's been a good inspiration and it's good to be back in the race,” the 25-year-old concluded.

It will probably be Pogachar again who he will try to beat in Zurich. The Slovenian's win in Canada confirms that he is the pre-race favorite, but with a star team full of up-and-coming American talent, Jorgenson will not be afraid to get burned again if there is a chance of victory.