Missed by Visma, signed by XDS Astana: Dutch cycling talent’s big move

The decision wasn’t due to a lack of results from the now 22-year-old in 2024. Van Bekkum placed second in the Istrian Spring Trophy, won the highly competitive Tour de l’Isard (beating Jarno Widar), and delivered strong performances in the Tour de l’Avenir and Giro Next Gen. Despite these achievements, Menno Huising, Tijmen Graat, Jorgen Nordhagen, and Matthew Brennan were prioritized for promotion to the professional team.

Fortunately for Van Bekkum—and for Dutch cycling—other WorldTour teams showed interest, ensuring he will compete at the highest level next season. At XDS Astana, he will form part of a Dutch contingent alongside Mike Teunissen, Cees Bol, Wout Poels, and Ide Schelling in 2025.

"At the Visma | Lease a Bike development team, everything was already super professional over the past four years. I also occasionally joined the pros there, so in that sense, the transition to the pro level hasn’t been a massive change. The biggest differences are the people—lots of new faces—a different culture, and a different way of working. I also have a new coach now, so that’s another adjustment. But overall, I’m really enjoying it."

"That definitely makes it a bit easier. You naturally connect more quickly when you can speak your own language. I already knew some of the other guys from the U23 ranks, so I’d spoken to them occasionally before as well."

"At a certain point, it became clear that I probably wouldn’t be able to move up to the pro team at Visma | Lease a Bike. So, I had to start looking for other teams. That’s how XDS Astana came into the picture.

I spent four years in the same structure, which was quite strict—not that I minded—but I also thought it would be fun to experience a different culture and meet new people.

When Astana approached me, I was hesitant at first about whether it would be the right fit. But then you start talking to people, thinking it over, and before you know it, you’re moving forward with it. I really enjoy it—this fresh start feels great."

"I knew Wout was coming, and that definitely helped. It was nice to hear that another Dutch rider would be joining as well."

Maybe a little. Last year, I delivered the performances I needed to and met expectations, but perhaps other guys were just as good or even slightly better. Maybe they showed a bit more potential, so luck also plays a role there. And the benefit of having a Dutch rider isn’t as significant at Visma | Lease a Bike anymore.

To answer your question: does it feel like a disappointment? Not necessarily. But as you mentioned, maybe it’s a slight hit to the ego. I would have liked to have had the option to move up, let’s put it that way. But it’s not a bad thing because this opportunity also brings plenty of chances. Everything has its pros and cons."

"I know I’ll start in Mallorca, which is already a great set of races for me. After that, we’ll mainly see how things go. It could be that I race at a higher level in the WorldTour, but it might also be more at a lower level. That’s still to be determined. Regardless, I’ll aim to show what I can do in any race, but that’s always the case."

"The idea is to go for personal opportunities in smaller races and support the team in bigger races. But you never know how things will go. If everything suddenly goes really well, the situation could change completely. We’ll know more in a few months."

"I’d be happy if I make solid progress. I’m not attaching specific results to that because those are things that come afterward. I’ll work on improving the areas where I can grow and keep refining the things I’m already good at. With a new environment and a new coach, I’m hoping to take a big step forward."

"At Visma, nutrition was at the highest level, so maybe they’re a bit behind on that here. But in other areas, things might be better here. For example, in strength training or one-on-one guidance. It’s mostly just different overall. I think every team has its strengths and weaknesses."

"Maybe, haha. I was the only one here walking around with a scale, still using the Foodcoach app. But in races, I can learn so much from guys like Wout. They have so much experience, especially in grand tours."

"Yes, but I didn’t do that many races with the pro team. I rode Coppi e Bartali, which was an amazing week. For example, I handled positioning well there, so I knew I could do that. When I started out, I couldn’t do any of that at all."

"By doing it."

"Haha, no. At this year’s World Championships, I noticed that positioning was on a higher level. You mostly learn by racing. I never had someone explicitly teach me how to do it; you have to find your own way. You start to feel it in the peloton. Sometimes I’ve managed to get to the front of the pack with just one sprint."

"No, not really. And that might sound strange. A lot of guys dream of becoming a pro, but I never really had that. I have one real dream, and that’s to win the Tour de France. This feels more like a step along the way."

"You don’t really know. You can’t predict how fast things will go. If you take a step forward every year and keep learning from your mistakes, it will come eventually. I don’t have a set path in mind for it. And don’t get me wrong: I’m incredibly proud to become a WorldTour rider now. It hasn’t been a lifelong dream, but it’s definitely something I’ve worked towards for a long time."