“I’m extremely busy right now”; Richard Plugge and Visma | Lease a Bike’s search for a new title sponsor for 2027
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With the Belgian and French Opening Weekend — plus a packed run of stage races — on the way, the busiest period of the year is now underway for Visma | Lease a Bike. Team CEO Richard Plugge is right in the middle of it, but behind the scenes he is also working on securing a new title sponsor for 2027. On Thursday, he provided an update. “I’m extremely busy right now.”
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Plugge spoke at a press conference where the team announced a partnership with French company Mistral AI. “At the highest level of cycling, it’s necessary to keep improving constantly. Mistral AI has the same mindset in its own field, and I’m convinced that by working together, we can take each other to an even higher level.”
So what exactly is Mistral AI? It is often seen as a European counterpart to AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Grok. “Mistral AI does that with Le Chat, so I’ve installed that app,” Plugge explained.
Mistral AI will also feature prominently on the team jersey and will help improve performance, optimise decision-making, and create a competitive advantage in professional cycling. “We’ve been working together for a few weeks now and both sides are happy with how it’s going.”
Plugge previously announced in January that a “major innovation” was on the way at Visma | Lease a Bike, but he did not confirm whether that referred to Mistral. “Maybe I can tell you after the season. We’re always looking for partners who make us stronger, and this is a really nice addition to our sponsorship pyramid.”
“Mistral AI is one of the most innovative companies out there, and we’re happy that such a big, promising company wants to collaborate with us,” Plugge continued. “Of course we were already working with AI, but how exactly? I can’t go into that too deeply.”
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Mistral AI on Visma | Lease a bike shirt.
How close are we to a replacement for Visma in Plugge’s team name?
Plugge also could not go into detail about the search for a successor to Visma as title sponsor, but he did provide a broad update. “As a team, we’re currently the biggest opportunity for companies to enter cycling — and those companies see it the same way. We’re talking to a lot of parties and I’m extremely busy right now,” said Plugge, who also faces competition from EF Education-EasyPost, who are likewise looking for a new title sponsor.
Where the American team put itself in the shop window with a press release, Plugge used the media moment in Deerlijk to give his own process a push. “With the track record we have — in grand tours and all the other races — we can offer companies a lot. We are a very committed team, and that is recognised both in Europe and globally.”
Continue reading below the photo!
Richard Plugge seeks new main sponsor for Visma | Lease a Bike.
Plugge wants his team to remain among the very best
Because it now seems clear that there will be a “replacement” for Visma in the name of the team. “I already said it in January, but we are always looking for opportunities. We want to be the biggest and strongest team and win races, so we have to keep up with the other top teams. Every year new parties come in, and right now I’m speaking with many international options,” said Plugge.
“It already went from LottoNL-Jumbo to Jumbo-Visma and then Visma | Lease a Bike, so you never know where it ends,” Plugge added. Last year, Rabobank returned as a partner — but could they potentially move up a step (or two) on the sponsorship ladder? “Anything is possible,” Plugge brushed off the question in typical ex-journalist fashion. Touché.
Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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