Attila Valter on why he left Visma | Lease a Bike: 'If it is what it is after three years, its not going to change'

Visma | Lease a Bike said goodbye to many a great name this season. Among them are the obvious stars, like Olav Kooij, Dylan van Baarle and Cian Uijtdebroeks, but plenty of valuable domestiques have said goodbye, too. Among them is Attila Valter. The former Hungarian champ leaves for Bahrain Victorious, and explains his departure at the Dutch squad to IDL Pro Cycling.

Valter tells us that the choice was a personal one. 'At the beginning of this year, I started to have questions: "Is it at the moment the best place for me?" As the months passed by, and I raced how I raced, I felt like I could do more. If it is what it is after three years, its not going to change after for or five years. Its not about teams, it is about the individual. Me, personally, needed something else to flourish, to be my best again.'

That opportunity arose when Bahrain knocked on the door. 'After a few months, I had a really eager Bahrain Victorious who really chased me, so that already gave me so many good feelings during the season that I thought: I want these feelings during the next season. The main reason is to fulfil my personal goals, and Bahrain is the best choice for me at the moment.'

At the Dutch formation, Valter was one of the most praised domestiques in his first two years for the outfit. But in 2025, he noticeably faltered. The results did not come as easy, both in the one day-races and the stage races. As a result, he was left out of the Grand Tours. For Valter, however, the toughest challenge was floating in between roles.

'I was certain that my role was going to stay pretty much the same at Visma, which is fine. They have some many top, world class riders that, most of the races, I would be a domestique and then get my own chances. But for me, it was really hard to switch from one to another. Or you are one of the best, like Wout (Van Aert), but it is never easy to help in one race, and then next week, they say: now its your chance to go, take that chance.'

It meant that, for the first time since his continental days, Valter had a year without a Grand Tour. 'Of course, I was really disappointed not to ride a Grand Tour, but I was disappointed with how many things turned out. That’s part of a career, its ups and downs. I was not planned for the Giro this year, and for the Tour and Vuelta, I was not at the level. If I would be flying, they would take me. So I have no hard feelings.'

Valter knows he did not have his best year. 'Generally, I felt myself lacking this season. It was not an easy run for me. Most of the races I could finish, though it is not a goal to finish races for me. I was often not far from something nice, but I felt like I was forcing things. I was struggling, also mentally. Even though I liked all my teammates and everyone there, I felt like I would not be able to turn things around here, with this mentality.'

Still, there are no regrets about his time with Visma. 'I would not change it for anything. I’m really happy for these past three years. It taught me so many things, I got so many good results and was a part of so many great teams, with basically the biggest riders in history. They have a really nice mentality and way of working, and it was amazing to be a part of that.'

A new chapter arises for the Hungarian allrounder. A new team, and that means a lot of new faces. But his five years in the WorldTour have readied him for this moment. 'I really feel that I got my spark back. I’m really eager to get to know everyone, to work with them, and with a different mindset, let’s say. There’s definitely way less nerves than when I signed with Jumbo-Visma.'

With his new team, Valter will have a new role, and with that, a new sense of adventure. 'I will have a lot of opportunities, and a lot of freedom', he knows. 'I will try myself even more in the Classics than in the past seasons. Of course, I will do Strade (he finished 4th in 2022), but also Omloop, E3 and Flanders. A lot of new races for me, which requires a lot of nerve, but we are working on that. We have a nice team for it.'

The cobbled classics do make him a little nervous. 'I never thought of myself of the best positioner in the peloton, I’m not always willing to take unnecessary risks, but there, you just have to be aggressive, you’re not there to make friends in the bunch. It’s a big challenge for me, but I also feel like - with the big engine I have - we need to tackle long races. That’s where I have been the best so far.'

Be sure to spot Valter at at least one Grand Tour, but which one? That is still uncertain. For an opportunist like him, it is useless to look at the parcours. 'My feeling is that the past two years, the race really changed much. Last year, I did the Giro. When Tadej (Pogacar) started there, it completely changed the way of racing. Maybe there’s only one breakaway stage, because every GC rider wants to go for it.'