Giro winner to Visma | LaB? ‘Killer Bees hope Hindley can fill Uijtdebroeks-Yates gap’

Over the past year, the Dutch team have lost two crucial climbers. First, Cian Uijtdebroeks surprisingly chose not to see out his contract and left for Movistar, and not long afterwards Simon Yates announced his retirement from professional cycling. Two important pieces in the climbing department were suddenly gone. The question now is: how do you replace them?

In the short term, that loss could not really be absorbed. Visma | Lease a Bike did manage to sign Italian climbing talent Davide Piganzoli, but he is not yet at the level of the departed riders. Super-talent Jørgen Nordhagen also still needs time to develop and has yet to make his Grand Tour debut. That is why the team are looking closely at what might be available for next season.

According to cycling journalist and transfer specialist Daniel Benson, the team are interested in Jai Hindley. The 2022 Giro d’Italia winner currently rides for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe and finished fourth overall in last year’s Vuelta a España. With Remco Evenepoel arriving and Primož Roglič, Giulio Pellizzari and Florian Lipowitz already on the roster, it is far from certain that the Australian will be able to ride for his own chances.

Even so, it remains to be seen whether there will actually be room at Visma | Lease a Bike. “We don’t have many places left, and we’ve extended a lot of contracts,” Richard Plugge explained. “We’re looking at a few riders who could strengthen our team, but a lot of teams are in the same position as we are. So there isn’t that much movement at the moment. We’re talking about five or six spots.”

The Dutch team boss is clearly searching for a climber who can help fill the gap left by Uijtdebroeks and Yates. “But we also have a history of building riders. Everyone says we’re one of the biggest teams because we have so many good riders, but they all came to us and improved within the team. That’s what we look at: who is the next new guy? That’s normally how we approach these kinds of things.”

So Visma | Lease a Bike are keeping their eyes open. “If a major opportunity comes along, as it did with Simon at the time, we’ll take it. We’re always open to that. A GC rider, a climber, someone who can win races. That is obviously the most important thing — winning races. There are a few guys on the market, but not that many. Almost every team is already full.”

Alongside the search for more climbing strength, the team are also busy with their classics core. That group was already reinforced over the winter with the arrivals of Timo Kielich and Owain Doull, while Wout van Aert, Per Strand Hagenes and Christophe Laporte give the team no shortage of leaders for the one-day races. Laporte is out of contract, but Plugge would like to keep him.

Earlier, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe was mentioned as a possible new team for the 33-year-old Frenchman, but Visma | Lease a Bike hope to retain him. “We’re discussing it with him,” Plugge said. “He is, of course, one of our best riders. It would be very good if he can stay, but we need to talk with him. We always take our time with these things, and we’ll let you know when it’s done.”