BORA-hansgrohe: "The controversy around Uijtdebroeks's transfer to Visma | Lease a Bike is bad for him and for the whole sport"

The young Belgian, at the team presentation of Visma | Lease a Bike, mentioned that his time with the Germans was simply coming to an end, without going into details. "The last few months were not so enjoyable, so it took a bit of figuring out what would be best for me. At the end of November, I looked at the options, and then on December 1st, we decided to terminate the contract and sign with Visma. Here I have 27 other Cians beside me."

Ralph Denk, the equivalent of Richard Plugge at BORA-hansgrohe, has had a few hectic months with the transfer stories surrounding Roglic and Uijtdebroeks. He didn't see it as particularly stressful, and that's where he wanted to leave it. "As a manager, with all the people working for the team on and off the road, it's the most intense time. We had the situations with Cian and Primoz, so it was very busy. Personally, it involved little stress for me, because I love what I do," said the German.

Rolf Aldag, the Sports Director, was asked in the Iberostar Hotel on the Spanish island what he actually thought about the whole situation. Initially, he responded snappily, "I don't think it's relevant for us at this moment," but eventually provided some clarification. "A solution was found that suited everyone. If things don't work out, then that's just how it is. For 2024, we presented him with our plan and his goals, but he felt differently about it. How that all unfolded was quite difficult. The way it all became public, it's a bad situation for him, us, and the entire sport...', says Aldag, his voice tinged with noticeable disappointment.

"How it all came out: that's what bugs the most. If I see Cian somewhere in the elevator, I'll greet him and wish him the best at Visma | Lease a Bike. He has a lot of talent, and we wanted to showcase that, but I'm not here to drag this story out for another three months. What happened is very bad for the sport. I am genuinely saddened by how the story unfolded. There's no point in spreading further stories about it; we need to put an end to it," Aldag firmly draws a line under the matter. And so it is.