After a uniquely successful Vuelta a España, Visma bids a fitting farewell to Steven Kruijswijk

After 21 stages—seven of which they won—it’s safe to say that Visma | Lease a Bike got the most out of the Vuelta a España. The Dutch team enjoyed success with victories with Matthew Brennan and Wout van Aert, and saw Sepp Kuss finish fifth. That called for a celebration, while the team also took a moment to bid farewell to retiring Steven Kruijswijk.

From the very beginning, the Vuelta could already be considered a success for Visma | Lease a Bike. Brennan, who was making his debut in a Grand Tour, struck gold right away in the first road stage. The 21-year-old Brit also claimed victory in Stage 5, as well as Stages 11, 16, and 17. Five stage wins in a Vuelta—that’s a rare feat, especially for a rookie.

Van Aert had his sights set on the red jersey during the opening weekend, but the Belgian fell short in the opening time trial in Monaco. He was also unable to put pressure on Tadej Pogačar in the second stage, after which he changed course. He shifted his focus to stage wins and the green jersey: he was the best in stages 13 and 15, and thanks to his efforts, he also managed to secure his second goal.

In the general classification, the Dutch team had fewer lofty ambitions. With Ben Tulett and Jorgen Nordhagen, the team had high hopes for two inexperienced climbers, but they were unable to make the impact on the race that was expected. However, Kuss, who was riding his fifth Grand Tour in two years and his fourth in a row, shone. Despite a nasty crash, he managed to shake up the Vuelta in the queen stage, climbing from eleventh to fifth place.

Visma | Lease a Bike thus wrapped up an unprecedentedly successful Grand Tour. Literally, since no team has ever won more than six stages in a Grand Tour. But perhaps the defining story of the Vuelta for the Killer Bees was Kruijswijk’s farewell.

The 39-year-old from Brabant had been with the team since 2007 and enjoyed tremendous success, including a podium finish at the Tour de France.

And so, after the Vuelta, the team threw a fitting farewell dinner for Kruijswijk, as can be seen on Instagram. He was honored amid loud applause. Of course, the team’s successes were also celebrated. Smiling faces all around: that’s how the end of a Grand Tour should be!