How 22-year-old Tim Rex (Visma | Lease a Bike) suddenly finds himself riding his first Grand Tour

Visma | Lease a Bike made one final change to their Giro d'Italia squad in the weeks leading up to the race: Edoardo Affini, who is being prepared for the Tour de France, was replaced by Tim Rex. The 22-year-old Belgian — who hails from the country's German-speaking east — is making rapid strides at the Dutch team, and speaks to IDL Pro Cycling ahead of his first Grand Tour.

Rex, the younger brother of Soudal Quick-Step rider Laurenz, joined the Visma | Lease a Bike development team in 2025 from the Wanty set-up, stepping straight up to the WorldTour squad just one year later.

A glance at Rex's results doesn't immediately reveal many victories. But within the team, riders including Matthew Brennan were so positive about the all-rounder that he was promoted to the WorldTour squad without hesitation — and he has continued to build on that ever since. Praise for the youngster's work ethic and hunger has been a constant inside the team for some time.

Rex, who turned 22 on 11 April, has already raced at a range of events this season — among them the Tour Down Under, Strade Bianche, In Flanders Fields, the Tour of the Basque Country and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. And now the Giro — something he couldn't confirm when we put the question to him in Frankfurt. "I already knew by then, because I found out while I was riding the Tour of the Basque Country," he says with a laugh, speaking from Bulgaria.

That late addition also changed his schedule for the final weeks before the race. "I didn't ride Amstel Gold Race or La Flèche Wallonne, so I could complete a solid training block." He then rode Eschborn-Frankfurt — not far from where he lives in eastern Belgium.

And so, just months after his professional debut, he lines up at the Giro d'Italia alongside Jonas Vingegaard. Also by his side is Victor Campenaerts, with whom he shared a room at one of the team's training camps. "It is a bit nerve-wracking — it feels like a premiere," Rex admits openly.

The Belgian can handle many terrains, but this Giro d'Italia he will mainly do his headlining on the flat: "The goal is to win the Giro d'Italia with Jonas, so I'm going to be a full domestique for him. I can climb reasonably well, but if you look at our team, you see that we have a lot of strong men. So for me it will rather be on the flat.'

By "strong men," he means Campenaerts, Wilco Kelderman and Bart Lemmen, among others, who have already ridden many grand tours. "It gives peace of mind, because those men know how such a grand tour works. That I get to ride this Giro alongside them gives me a lot of confidence. I'm really looking forward to it.'

Finally, could Rex have imagined this scenario in early January? 'I couldn't have dreamed of it. Not in January, but actually not until the Tour of the Basque Country. When I got the phone call, from Grischa Niermann, I was very happy. And I still am,' it sounds full of pride.

The Belgian can handle all kinds of terrain, but at this Giro d'Italia he will mainly be putting in his shifts on the flat stages. "The goal is to win the Giro d'Italia with Jonas, so I'll be riding flat out in his support. I can climb reasonably well, but when you look at our team, you can see we have an enormous number of strong riders. For me, it will mainly be the flat days."

By "strong riders" he means the likes of Campenaerts, Wilco Kelderman and Bart Lemmen — all riders with a wealth of Grand Tour experience. "That gives you a sense of calm, because those guys know exactly how a Grand Tour works. Getting to ride this Giro alongside them gives me a lot of confidence. I'm really looking forward to it."

Finally: could Rex have imagined this back in January? "I couldn't have dreamed of it. Not in January — not really until the Tour of the Basque Country either. When I got the call from Grischa Niermann, I was really happy. And I still am," he says with unmistakable pride.

'Team joker' Victor Campenaerts welcomed Tim Rex to his first Giro d'Italia by posting a video on Instagram captioned: 🚨GIRO DAY 1: The secret weapon ⚔️

In the video, Vingegaard himself says that the team's 'secret weapon' is Tim Rex. With the feeling of the older kids welcoming the new boy to the school team, it is clear that Rex is a welcome addition to the Visma squad. But as Campenaerts says in the video, "let's see in three weeks.'