Does the grand Tour succes outweigh the spring struggles? Visma | Lease a Bike had another rollercoaster season

After the disappointment of 2024, when the team failed to win any Grand Tour, Visma | Lease a Bike had to return to the drawing board. With a fully fit Jonas Vingegaard, the chase on Tadej Pogačar was reopened. The Tour de France didn’t deliver the yellow jersey, but how bad was the outcome really? IDL Procycling looks back at the year of the Killer Bees.

Last season, Visma | Lease a Bike had plenty to celebrate in the one-day races. This year was, to be honest, disappointing. Only twice did riders from the Dutch squad raise their arms outside of stage races: Matthew Brennan won GP Denain, while Olav Kooij dominated GP d’Isbergues.

Beyond that, the cupboard was nearly empty. Some of it was down to bad luck — such as Kooij’s crash in Gent-Wevelgem or missing Christophe Laporte. But their main classics leader, Wout van Aert, collected podiums without converting any into victories. Fourth in Paris-Roubaix, fourth in Tour of Flanders, fourth in Amstel Gold Race and runner-up in Dwars door Vlaanderen and Brabantse Pijl are decent results, but the way they unfolded left frustration.

Dwars door Vlaanderen may have been the defining moment of Visma’s spring. With three of the four riders in the lead group, defeat should have been impossible — yet they were outsmarted by Neilson Powless. Van Aert lost the sprint, something that happened repeatedly this year. The head-shaking Matteo Jorgenson and Tiesj Benoot on the finish line said enough: this one should never have slipped away.

Where the classics disappointed, the team fully redeemed itself in the Grand Tours. Yes, they lost the Tour de France, but they still won two stages — including Van Aert’s iconic victory on the Champs-Élysées — and Vingegaard finished a very solid second overall. Against this version of Pogačar, there was simply very little to be done. The team extracted the maximum possible.

Meanwhile, the Vuelta a España and Giro d’Italia were won. Vingegaard’s Vuelta triumph was somewhat expected, but the same can’t be said for Simon Yates’ stunning Giro victory. He finally conquered the Finestre ghost that had haunted him for seven years — thanks in part to an exceptional Van Aert, who had already won brilliantly in Siena earlier that spring.

Olav Kooij also won twice in the Giro, and Vingegaard collected three stage wins in Spain. In smaller stage races, the team hit the mark repeatedly, thanks to prolific winners like Kooij and the spectacular Brennan, who truly broke through this season. Jorgenson added a victory in his home race Paris–Nice, while Cian Uijtdebroeks and Laporte also returned to winning ways.

It was another turbulent season for Visma | Lease a Bike, finishing second in the UCI ranking. While the team underperformed in one area, they excelled in another. The weaker spring was more than compensated for by impressive Grand Tour campaigns. And yet, something lingers.

Perhaps we have become spoiled by their dominant peak years. The legendary 2023 season will never be matched, and even UAE Team Emirates – XRG struggles to win all three Grand Tours in a single year. Should this team be capable of more? Possibly. But pride should remain the overriding feeling after 2025. Our editorial score: a strong 8.2 out of 10.

Visma | Lease a Bike will probably be the first to admit this transfer window unfolded differently from previous years. After big arrivals in recent seasons — such as Uijtdebroeks, Jorgenson, Campenaerts and Yates — the incoming class seems underwhelming at first glance. But is it really?

With Filippo Fiorelli, Bruno Armirail, Timo Kielich and Owain Doull, the team has strengthened its domestique department. The sprint and classics groups, in particular, receive a boost. Armirail brings huge value for GC leaders thanks to his engine and climbing abilities. Anton Schiffer also looks like a strong long-term addition to the climbing squad.

But the standout signing might be Davide Piganzoli. The Italian arrives from Polti–VisitMalta and is one of Italy’s most exciting climbing prospects. He has already finished in the top 15 of the Giro twice. With the right guidance — something Visma | Lease a Bike consistently delivers — he could become Italy’s next Grand Tour leader.

At the same time, the team says farewell to major names. Kooij and Benoot join Decathlon CMA CGM, Uijtdebroeks heads to Movistar, and Dylan van Baarle moves to Soudal Quick-Step. Add several others leaving, and the exodus is significant. Can the new blood fill the gap? Time will tell.

Transfers in: Owain Doull (EF Education - EasyPost), Bruno Armirail (Decathlon CMA CGM), Davide Piganzoli (Polti VisitMalta), Filippo Fiorelli (VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizanè), Timo Kielich (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Anton Schiffer (BIKE AID), Pietro Mattio and Tim Rex (both Visma | Lease a Bike Development)

Transfers out: Tiesj Benoot, Olav Kooij (both Decathlon CMA CGM), Dylan van Baarle (Soudal Quick-Step), Tosh Van der Sande, Dan McLay (both retired), Attila Valter (Bahrain Victorious), Cian Uijtdebroeks (Movistar), Thomas Gloag (Pinarello - Q36.5) and Julien Vermote (unknown)

We could discuss established stars like Vingegaard, Van Aert and Yates, but it’s far more intriguing to examine what’s bubbling underneath. The loss of Kooij hurts, but that gap already seems filled by rising superstar Matthew Brennan. The young Brit appears just as fast — perhaps faster — and looks even stronger on cobbles and punchy climbs. Could he be cycling’s next megastar? Quite possibly.

Ten of the team’s 28 riders are 23 or younger. If the new generation takes the next step, Visma | Lease a Bike could make a leap forward. If Niklas Behrens shows his class, or if Jørgen Nordhagen can already compete with the best climbers, the team suddenly gains exceptional depth. And new arrival Schiffer, despite being 26, also offers major growth potential according to the team.

With a hungry Van Aert, a recovered Laporte, a dominant Brennan, and riders like Campenaerts, Jorgenson, Kielich and Axel Zingle, the team field a formidable classics lineup. In the mountains, the responsibility lies with Vingegaard and Yates — but can Piganzoli already show his potential in new colours? And what about young Menno Huising and Nordhagen?

In short: the future is black and yellow. Whether that future fully arrives in 2026 remains to be seen.