From Air Force officer to pro cyclist: "I thought, I'm sitting here with freaking Stybar"

Bart Lemmen's first year in the WorldTour is over. The professional career of the 29-year-old from Utrecht has progressed rapidly: after a strong spring, he unexpectedly found himself starting the Tour de France due to a number of withdrawals within the team. It has been a transformative experience, helping him understand his place in the peloton. Lemmen shared his journey in the cycling podcast De Rode Lantaarn.

Lemmen joined the defense force to become a ground defense officer. "Guarding Air Force assets. That came after a failed attempt to become a pilot. That was the first time I tried something and it didn’t work out—it was tough,” he admitted. However, his new role suited him well, and the disappointment quickly faded. As a platoon commander, he held significant responsibility. “It’s all about teamwork. You spend 4.5 years preparing for that first day.” Staying fit was a constant in his military career, although the focus was initially on running. “That’s where I picked up cycling again,” he explained.

While in college, he found time to take up cycling. "It wasn’t some childhood dream. It was basically like, ‘I’ll go for a jog.’ What did I know?" Among the students, he won quite a few amateur races. Things went so well that he sought to move up, which wasn’t possible within the student cycling club. In 2021, he received a new position in the air force, which allowed him to focus more on cycling. With high hopes, he entered the Dutch National Time Trial Championship, where he placed eighth. "That was the first moment I thought, ‘Holy shit.’" Suddenly, various continental teams showed interest. VolkerWessels Cycling Team signed the Dutchman, and there he surprised himself with strong results.

Lemmen unexpectedly finished fourth at the Dutch National Road Championship, just two seconds off the podium and 14 seconds behind winner Pascal Eenkhoorn. "I was riding around thinking, ‘I think all these guys have ridden the Giro. Meanwhile, I was doing drills during the Giro.’" He also performed well in the Tour of Slovakia, finishing seventh overall. "Suddenly, I’m there with guys like Stybar. I’m here with freaking Stybar. Afterwards, my team leader told me, ‘You should have attacked.’ I thought I just had to follow him, and that would get me far in the finale," Lemmen laughs. "But then you don’t win."

After his fantastic debut year with VolkerWessels, the 29-year-old Dutchman wanted to take another step forward. But it was always him calling the teams, not the other way around. "I was 26; it doesn’t just happen at that age." Human Powered Health gave him a chance, and with strong performances in O Gran Camiño, the Tour of Slovakia, and again at the Dutch Nationals (where he finished fourth again), he caught the attention of Visma | Lease a Bike. That came as a huge surprise. "I was driving back from Oktoberfest in Stuttgart when I got a message from my manager saying Marijn (Zeeman, ed.) wanted to call me."

During the call, it became clear that the Dutch team was very impressed with Lemmen. "He said during the conversation, ‘If you say yes now, it’ll be arranged this afternoon.’ I looked at Nienke (his wife, ed.), and she was over the moon. We’d been searching for months for a team. Human Powered Health was folding, and I’d had some pretty good results. But nothing was working out. I wanted to think it over a bit. That same day, Q36.5 Pro Cycling also made me an offer." But he never really doubted.

At Visma | Lease a Bike, then, was finally the realization that he had made it as an elite athlete. "I really felt like a cyclist. Before this, if someone asked what I did, I’d say I was a cyclist. They’d ask, ‘At Jumbo, then?’ Then I’d have to explain that I was with a pro-continental team that could theoretically ride the Tour de France but didn’t actually do so. Now I could just say, ‘Yes, I’m with Visma.’"

Right from the start, during the Tour Down Under, he made his presence known: finishing fifth in the general classification despite not being the designated team leader. Milan Vader was meant to lead the team, but Lemmen stepped up as the second option. "In the second stage, there was this little climb, and suddenly, I was able to hang on. Alaphilippe was no longer there. I managed to pocket that one." He continued to shine in the final stages. "Simon Yates almost ran me into the barriers. At the training camp, I told him he owes me a WorldTour win."

In the fall, Lemmen came agonizingly close to victory: during the Coppa Bernocchi, he rode solo for a long time but was caught in the final kilometer. "I was surprised by how long I managed to hold on. With twenty kilometers to go, I still had a twenty-second lead." Being so close has only fueled his hunger for a pro win. "I’d really like to win a race as a professional. Just so there’s no longer a zero next to my name on ProCyclingStats. Of course, how amazing would it be to win a stage in a Grand Tour or the Amstel Gold Race…" he says, dreaming out loud. "But let’s start with something like the Coppa Bernocchi. Still, if I had to choose: give me a Tour stage."