The overlooked challenges a transfer to Visma | Lease a Bike brings: "Not surprised they’ve become one of the biggest teams in the world"
Cycling
Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on GoogleA transfer in professional cycling often revolves around competitive and financial considerations, but for a rider, it’s about much more than just a new kit and a bank account adjustment. Victor Campenaerts shared with HLN that his move from Lotto-Dstny to Visma | Lease a Bike wasn’t without its challenges.
ADVERTISEMENT
The outspoken Belgian returned to familiar territory this winter. Back in 2016, Campenaerts joined LottoNL-Jumbo from Topsport Vlaanderen. At the time, the Dutch cycling team was still a minor player, arguably the smallest on the scene. Campenaerts took his first steps in the WorldTour there before moving to Lotto Soudal in 2018.
He spent five years at Lotto, with a stint at the South African Qhubeka cycling project in 2020 and 2021. In 2024, he decided to return to Visma | Lease a Bike, now one of the most prominent teams in the peloton. His record includes ten victories with Lotto, the most recent being a stage win in last summer's Tour de France. At Qhubeka, he claimed a Giro stage win in 2021, and during his first stint at Jumbo, he became Belgian time trial champion.
Read more below the photo.
Campenaerts won a stage in the Tour de France last summer
'Neurotic' Campenaerts adjusting to new Cervélo bike
A return doesn’t necessarily mean everything feels familiar, as Campenaerts can attest after spending a few weeks with Visma | Lease a Bike. Everything has changed at the Dutch team. Now 33 years old, Campenaerts faces challenges that come with any transfer: new equipment, training methods, nutrition policies, and more.
Equipment-wise, Campenaerts has switched from an Orbea to a Cervélo. "The frame itself isn’t too difficult to adjust to, but every contact point between my body and the bike is new: the saddle, handlebars, and pedals. I'm neurotic and that adjustment caused me quite a bit of stress initially."
One of the changes involves using Wahoo Speedplay pedals, where the clip-in mechanism is integrated into the cleat. "This setup brings your feet closer to the bike's axle, offering a significant aerodynamic advantage and improved pedaling efficiency. However, getting the cleats positioned correctly was no small feat."
Read more below the photo.
Campenaerts back in the yellow and black kit from Visma | Lease a Bike
What other challenges does Campenaerts face at Visma | Lease a Bike?
Victor Campenaerts has had to adapt to several changes since joining Visma | Lease a Bike, including longer SRAM shifters, a new riding position, a new coach, and the renowned Foodcoach app used by the team. "At Lotto, we also had access to dietitians to determine what and how much we could eat, but as a rider, it still felt like a chore to weigh out your meals," he explains, hinting at a positive shift.
Here it is: "Using the app has significantly reduced the stress of weighing food because fewer steps are needed. It makes life both easier and more professional, whereas usually, you have to choose between the two. I have to admit, I was positively overwhelmed when I started using the app. I find myself approaching meals with a different mindset now."
Continue reading below the photo.
Campenaerts didn’t reach out to Visma | Lease a Bike himself
A step outside his comfort zone at a team he never thought he’d join—that’s what Campenaerts revealed in an interview with Cyclist. "I wanted to ride for a team capable of winning the Tour de France, so I contacted a few teams. Visma wasn’t one of them because I assumed they wouldn’t have a place for me. Then, they reached out to me."
"I left on a positive note and eager for personal success. I had personal targets to strive for. The team respected that but said we have riders like Primož Roglič and Steven Kruijswijk who will be going for GC., " he explains. "Since then, Visma has clearly grown beyond recognition. When I rode for them, they worked very scientifically and in a methodical fashion – they had a plan for everything – but had a low budget. That changed. They secured new, bigger sponsors, got more money and attracted the biggest riders. I’m not surprised they’ve become one of the biggest teams in the world."
Personal success is no longer Campenaerts’ primary goal. In his second stint with the team, he’s focused on helping others. "I’m no Tadej, Van der Poel or Van Aert, so I think with the capacities I have, I’ve probably achieved the most I can in the way of my own palmarès. Now I’m keen for team success. I want to be part of the puzzle."
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
IDL-productions
Onley, Dickson, Thornley and now Mason; Scotland is punching way above its cycling weight
Cyclocross legend Lars van der Haar had a tough time after retiring from cyclocross: 'It was over pretty quickly'
Celia Gery won the European cyclocross championship while awaiting surgery: 'It'll be a new beginning'
Dutch team coach De Knegt annoyed by European Cyclocross Championships dispute: "A bit of a let down"
Glasgow set to shine as World Cup demand outstrips expectations and Mason eyes first home cyclocross race
Latest Cycling News
Michael Vanthourenhout's severe crash overshadows thrilling men's cyclocross race in merksplas
Thibau Nys offers glimpse into unbelievable cyclocross comeback: 'That uncertainty, that struggle with self-confidence'
Complications surround Wout van Aert's World Cyclocross Championship start
Thibau Nys and Lucinda Brand's team lose title sponsor in the middle of the cyclocross season
Onley, Dickson, Thornley and now Mason; Scotland is punching way above its cycling weight
Popular Cycling News
Pidcock's turbocharged vacation leads to struggles on the bike: 'No wonder people think cycling is hard'
Mads Pedersen weighs in on Lucinda Brand and Marie Schreiber's European Cyclocross Championship clash
Thibau Nys and Lucinda Brand's team lose title sponsor in the middle of the cyclocross season
Extensive evidence of use of N-word, homophobia, and Asian-hate by track cyclist Matthew Richardson revealed
Michael Vanthourenhout's severe crash overshadows thrilling men's cyclocross race in merksplas
Latest Comments
- - I’m still learning how cyclocross works: when he says he messed up the start at the Europeans, can a bad start really make that much difference?patriciaw14-11-2026
- - Love that he’s honest about the pressure. Hopefully he can carry this form through the winter.lindae14-11-2026
- - Beating different competition is the key now. Nys is already in the mix, and Van der Poel could make the next step a much tougher one.jennifer1914-11-2026
- - About time—Mason’s been knocking on the door for years. That Niel win could really open things up for him.cadencekingm14-11-2026
- I’m still learning how cyclocross works—does leading the Superprestige mean Mason is top of that race series, rather than the World Cup? Either way, winning in Belgium sounds like a massive result.cadencekingm13-11-2026
- Calling Onley a contender for an overall Tour win already feels a bit premature, especially after the injury setbacks. Still, the depth of talent is exciting.robert6513-11-2026
- Great to see Dickson’s route from triathlon to the WorldTour getting recognition. Scottish cycling has plenty to be proud of, and the 2027 Grand Départ could give the next generation a real lift.patriciaw13-11-2026
- The article makes a good case for clubs and small teams doing the groundwork, rather than one big development pipeline. Thornley’s Vuelta time trials were seriously impressive too; missing a stage win by two seconds is brutal.davidm13-11-2026
- Mason winning in Niel is huge—beating that kind of Belgian field in the mud takes serious class. The Kelvingrove World Cup could be an unforgettable homecoming.breakawaybikerd13-11-2026
- I’m not sure how WorldTour licences work—could these reports affect whether the team gets one next year, or is that decision based on other criteria?velodromevirtuoso113-11-2026