New main sponsor for Team Visma | Lease a Bike? ‘Visma takes a step back, new backer needed’

After Rabobank stopped sponsoring the Dutch outfit, several difficult years followed. The team first raced without a jersey sponsor under the name Blanco, but Belkin soon stepped in. The American electronics company pulled out after just over a year, yet salvation arrived quickly.

A new chapter began under LottoNL and Jumbo. Little by little, the team worked its way to the summit, and in 2019 Visma replaced the Dutch lottery as sponsor. It proved to be the start of a successful partnership and the glory years of the Dutch squad. With the Norwegian software company on board, the team went on to win a total of nine Grand Tours.

Supermarket chain Jumbo stepped away some time ago, with Lease a Bike taking its place. But the financial pressure from the sport’s biggest teams is immense. With super-teams such as UAE Team Emirates – XRG, Lidl-Trek, INEOS Grenadiers and Decathlon CMA CGM, there are squads with more spending power than the ‘Killer Bees’. So if Visma | Lease a Bike want to stay at the top, something may have to change.

According to WielerFlits, the plans of the Dutch team and title sponsor Visma no longer align closely enough. The sponsor does not want to invest more in the project, meaning team boss Richard Plugge has to look for a new main sponsor. Visma would remain involved, but more in the background. It is reported that Plugge has already held several talks with potential candidates.

What should be made clear, however, is that there is no question mark over the team’s future. Visma, PON and Rabobank will ensure the squad remains in the peloton regardless — but to keep pace with the very top, something new is needed. Either way, it marks yet another new chapter in what is already shaping up to be a turbulent year.