Bouwman not afraid to change at 32 after first disaster year outside of Visma: 'Have to be honest with myself'

For many riders, a transfer after a long, long time with one team feels like a leap into the unknown. The same was true for Koen Bouwman, who had to wait and see how life would be after leaving Visma | Lease a Bike. It quickly became clear that things were in good hands at Jayco AlUla, but Bouwman had imagined his first year with the Australian squad very differently. Speaking to IDLProCycling, the Dutchman reflects on the major disappointments of 2025.

Things went wrong early in the season for Bouwman. Knee problems meant his build-up to his first real target, the Giro d’Italia, was far from smooth. He began to feel better during the Tour of the Alps, but once the Giro itself started, everything fell apart when he became ill. “It was actually a bit the same as before the Volta a Catalunya; I already had it before the start,” he explains. “Then I just managed to recover in time, but even then it wasn’t my very best race.”

In Italy, Bouwman lasted eight stages. “The day that Luke Plapp won, I was in the breakaway. That was a really tough day to be up there – it was a long one and the pace was extremely high. And once I was there, I already knew: this isn’t my best day. Back on the bus, I really didn’t feel well. In the evening after dinner, everything came straight back up.”

It soon became clear he could not continue. “The next day I had a fever, diarrhea, everything you can think of. There was just no way I could start. That was really disappointing. In the Tour of the Alps I had felt like my old self for the first time, so I went to the Giro with quite a bit of confidence. Then it’s painful to have to abandon in stage eight.”

The 32-year-old Dutchman was sidelined for a week. “After that I tried to pick things up again, but I went to the Critérium du Dauphiné with just two training sessions in my legs. That wasn’t ideal. The Tour was still an option because the selection was announced late and Michael Matthews was still dealing with issues (pulmonary embolism, ed.), but with that condition, I had no business being there.”

The focus then shifted to the Vuelta a España, but that plan also fell apart. “After an altitude camp I felt really good. Then in the Tour de Pologne it went wrong again, with a high fever and basically all the symptoms of Covid. I tested negative every time, but it was far from ideal. Because of that illness I missed out on the Vuelta selection, which was a real blow. In the end, Jasha Sütterlin dropped out, and I still got to go to Spain.”

In Spain, his race ended quickly once more. After six stages he abandoned again, once more due to stomach problems. “I was throwing up all day, fever… I did ride the team time trial, but completely empty: no food, not even a warm-up. In the evening I still couldn’t eat anything. I tried again the next day, but after three hours I was completely empty.” Consequently, the World Championships also passed him by.

All in all, 2025 became “a year to forget” for the lightweight climber, made even more painful by the fact he could not seize his opportunities with his new team. “You make the decision to leave Visma, even though it’s a really great team. But later on, you don’t want to say: maybe there could have been a nice win in a big race. At Visma, I wasn’t good enough to really ride for my own chances there.”

After the season, Bouwman need a long rest. “I had nine weeks of off-season because I felt so bad. I really needed to hit the reset button. But I also made a mistake by wanting too much, especially with that knee injury. I wanted to get back into racing too quickly, to do too much. I think I’ve been walking a tightrope since March.”

In 2026, things will chang, as now one-day races are an option. “I’m going to train slightly differently: a bit less pure climbing and a bit more explosiveness, which actually suits me and is in my nature. If I get some good results in one-day races early in the season, that switch can always be made – although the Amstel Gold Race is obviously something different from a GP Castellón.”

Ideally, though, Bouwman remains a stage hunter. Besides the Volta a Catalunya and the Tour de Suisse, his calendar is still open. A Giro start is possible, but his preference lies elsewhere. “I’ve always said I’d love to ride the Tour one day. But I’m realistic enough, especially after last season, to know that I have to prove myself, and that it won’t just happen overnight.”

Bouwman knows that 2026 will be his final contract year with Jayco AlUla. “If I have another season like this one, that obviously won't help. In the past I’ve shown good things, and within the team it’s been repeated several times that the talent is still there – that doesn’t just disappear. That fire is still burning. I just hope I’m spared a bit more bad luck this season.”

If his contract is not extended, retirement is not yet an immediate option, but it is getting closer. “I still love cycling just as much as I did as a junior. If in three years’ time I feel like it’s breaking me, then I’ll stop. As long as I’m a professional cyclist, I’ll give it 100 percent. But if it’s gone, or I don’t want it anymore, then I also have to be honest with myself.”