"I’m not going to sit in the chair of the sports management": Visma | Lease a Bike reflects on the spring classics season

It must be said that Visma | Lease a Bike has also made certain choices for the hill classics. Jonas Vingegaard, Matteo Jorgenson, and Wout van Aert are among the world's best, but they are currently being prepared for goals later in the year. So it was up to the always reliable Tiesj Benoot and the young British rider Ben Tulett, who both finished in the top twenty.

"We were riding with three men for fourth place, but there were more of them," Van Dongen said, referring to the large group behind winner Tadej Pogacar. "Ben was excellent on La Redoute, and I think he hesitated a little before making his move. He was hard on himself about that. The best man won again, and I think we rode a good race."

Tulett's good performance could have turned out even better. "He was there for two seconds and hesitated for a moment. That was a pity, but I think Ben is having an outstanding season so far. I just told him on the bus: we'll be back here for more. "And that's what they have to do, Van Dongen knows. "It's important that we ride for more than thirteenth place. We want to compete for the podium, and we've fallen short of that. However, we also see positive things like a young rider like Tulett. We're just past Liège, so let's take a moment to let things settle, and from that position, the sports management will make its decisions for the future. I'm not thinking about that right now."

Is Tulett the man for the job in the coming years, or should Visma | Lease a Bike look elsewhere for a climber, such as the highly sought-after Kévin Vauquelin, whose former trainer Jasper Vaeck joined Arkéa - B&B Hotels last year? Van Dongen does not want to take Grischa Niermann's place. "But I think Ben can take on that role. Ben is a friendly, easy-going guy who takes his work very seriously. I am confident that he can take a step forward, which is reflected in this Liège. If he can take a step forward, he will be right up there with Ciccone."

Tulett finished in the top 20 of the Flèche Wallonne at just 19 while still riding for Alpecin and will have to settle for that position again in 2025. "Ben has also had some bad luck. Last year, they were stitching him up here in Liège," Van Dongen recalls.

When asked, Van Dongen summarized the situation on behalf of Visma | Lease a Bike, which did not achieve a classic victory in the spring of 2025. "I don't know if the gap has widened. There are several reasons things turned out differently, such as the absence of Christophe Laporte. That was a big loss. Wout van Aert performed at his best, but we mustn't forget what he had to return from."

"I don't often look at the UCI Ranking, but he's still fifth. That shows that he's among the best riders in the world," said the sports director. "And I've seen several good young riders at work. We win races like Paris-Nice and the Tour of the Algarve. The real highlight for me is Matthew Brennan's performance,' concluded the Dutchman. 'But we consider ourselves a top team, and that means winning. We haven't done that, so we're not satisfied."