The 67th edition of the E3 Saxo Classic saw a chaotic opening phase. A crash split the peloton into two groups with Jorgenson, along with Julien Vermote and Tosh Van der Sande, part of the first group. Wout van Aert, making his return to racing after a training period, found himself in the second peloton alongside several other favourites.  

After a long chase, the two groups merged with 110 kilometres to go. Shortly after, Aimé De Gendt and Casper Pedersen set up the first significant breakaway of the day. On the crucial Taaienberg climb, about 80 kilometres from the finish, Van der Poel, Mads Pedersen, and Filippo Ganna made their move, rapidly closing the gap to the leading duo. In the chase, Jorgenson found himself with some strong companions. Meanwhile, Van Aert tried several times to accelerate from the peloton but was unable to make a decisive impact.  

As the race approached the Paterberg and Oude Kwaremont climbs, the leaders extended their advantage. On the cobbled ascents, Van der Poel made the race-winning move, riding solo to Harelbeke. Meanwhile, Jorgenson helped further reduce the chasing group. Alongside Jasper Stuyven, Tim Wellens, and Stefan Küng, he reeled in two remaining escapees. Ultimately, the American had to settle for ninth place.  

"I felt quite good today," Jorgenson said afterwards. "Like many others, I was held up behind the crash in the opening kilometres and had to put in a big effort to get back to the first peloton. On the Taaienberg, we weren’t in the best position, so we were not able to react to the accelerations at the front. I ended up in a chasing group, but because of my earlier efforts, I didn’t have much left in the tank.”  

In the peloton, Van Aert sprinted to 15th place. “After the accelerations on the Taaienberg, I found myself further back,” said the Belgian. “I tried several times to force something, but in the end, it proved too difficult. Overall, I rode a decent final, but I can’t be satisfied with my race. I came here to get a result, and that did not happen.”  

Head of Racing Grischa Niermann acknowledged that it was not the team’s best performance but remained optimistic for the upcoming races. “Today showed once again how important it is to be in a good position before the cobbled climbs. Unfortunately, we weren’t where we needed to be. We also have to admit that the three strongest riders in the race made the difference, and from that point on, we were unable to close the gap. Fortunately, we have a chance to bounce back in Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday. Now, we can only focus on our next goals.”