Departing coach removed from Tour de France team as Visma look to the future

Visma | Lease a Bike confirmed on Tuesday, 16 hours after the news leaked that Grischa Niermann will leave the team for a job at Lidl-Trek, that Marc Reef will become the team’s new Head of Racing from 1 September. Niermann will therefore remain with the team until 31 August, but in a somewhat different role than in recent years.

CEO Richard Plugge confirmed that at a specially arranged press conference on Tuesday June 2. “Education and development of riders and staff is in the DNA of this team. We also train our coaches with the idea that they may one day take a step up,” the Dutchman began.

Plugge was surprised by the German’s news, but quickly moved on. “With Grischa’s departure, it is therefore a logical step within the team that Marc joins Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s sporting management. Although I regret that Grischa is leaving, I have enormous confidence in Marc Reef as Head of Racing.”

Reef (40) has worked at Visma | Lease a Bike for four years, after previously spending a long spell as sports director at Sunweb, with Tom Dumoulin, among others. He also finished the Giro d’Italia won by Jonas Vingegaard last weekend as head coach, a role he will also hold in the Tour de France. Niermann will not be there — nor in the Dauphiné — as he will do the Tour of Switzerland and remain in the background for the time being.

“That the team approached me for the role of Head of Racing and that I may join the sporting management I see as a wonderful opportunity, which I am seizing with both hands. Over the past few years I have been able to develop myself within this organisation in a very positive way,” Reef said in an initial reaction.

“The philosophy and culture of this team have suited me very well for a long time. Over the coming weeks my full focus will be on preparing for the Tour de France, one of the main goals of our season,” he said. Reef will focus more on his new role after the Tour de France, which he will formally take over from 1 September.

Alongside Reef, Jesper Mørkøv, Arthur van Dongen and Frans Maassen will also go to the Tour as sports directors for Visma | Lease a Bike.