🎥 Bouwman says goodbye to Visma | Lease a Bike after nine years: "We actually had no business being there"

"Thank you, Koen Bouwman," the video is captioned on the Dutch formation's official channels. "Thank you for proudly and joyfully wearing the colors of Team Visma | Lease a Bike from 2015 to 2024. You joined us as a trainee but quickly proved your worth. We saw your potential early on and soon realized you offered far more than strong legs on the bike. You are truly a beautiful person—one of those special individuals who only come along once in a generation," Richard Plugge's team has beautiful words for the Dutch rider.

Bouwman had his greatest success with the yellow formation during the 2022 Giro d'Italia. The Dutch rider won two stages in that edition and eventually took home the mountain jersey. "Those victories will be engraved in our memory forever," he said. "From that moment on, the color blue was forever linked to you, as you became the first Dutch rider to win the mountain GC in the Giro," the team looks back. "We wish you the best of luck with your new team. We are confident you will thrive there and continue to achieve great things. We'll be cheering you on as you chase new victories—because we know you have what it takes! It's been a great ride together," concludes Visma | Lease a Bike.

Bouwman himself, in the video, recalls memories of his highlights with the team, including his very first victory in the colors of LottoNL-Jumbo. For that, we have to go back to the third stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné 2017. "We went there with a weak team, so to speak, compared to the rest of the field,' Bouwman remembers. 'We had no business being there. But that made it even more special when I suddenly won the stage. On that same day, my youth coach passed away, which made it even more special in hindsight." The Dutchman looked back at the images of that particular day.

So, after over nine years, Bouwman finds a new challenge at Jayco AlUla. He explained earlier why his choice had fallen on the Australian formation. "There had already been contact with a few other teams, and then Jayco Alula came along. Those talks felt good; they expressed confidence. It is a much smaller team than Visma, and their budget is also a lot smaller, but for me, it was first and foremost about the sportive aspect," he said. He is incredibly grateful to his ex-employer. "A big thank you for the past years. I've enjoyed it. And also, being proud of the team, I'll definitely always keep yellow and black in my heart," he said with a smile