The Tour call-up that raised eyebrows: why Visma | Lease Bike were right to trust Victor Campenaerts in 2025

When Victor Campenaerts arrived at Visma | Lease a Bike in 2025, everyone knew the Dutch squad had added a tough, loyal Belgian domestique. He was expected to do his work in the classics, but the Killer Bees still raised plenty of eyebrows when they immediately dropped him into their Tour de France line-up. Was that really the right call?

Already in January, before Campenaerts had even raced in yellow and black, it was announced that the time trial specialist would be going to La Grande Boucle. That meant riders like Dylan van Baarle, Wilco Kelderman, Steven Kruijswijk, Bart Lemmen and others would stay home. The reason? The bike of the small Belgian.

With his build, he rides a similar frame size to team leader Jonas Vingegaard. If the Dane suffered bad luck, Campenaerts could hand over his bike straight away. But was that really enough reason to leave proven Tour lieutenants at home? Van Baarle, Kelderman and co had shown several times they were worth their weight in gold for their leader in France.

Among others, Johan Bruyneel tore into the decision, but all the chatter about the Tour selection didn’t change the minds of Visma’s top brass. After a long spring, Campenaerts headed for Sierra Nevada to prepare for the Grand Départ at altitude. And it paid off: after the Critérium du Dauphiné he arrived at the Tour in top form.

Most people expected to see Campenaerts shine mainly in the tricky opening week, but in both the Pyrenees and the Alps he transformed into a genuine climbing domestique. While riders like Matteo Jorgenson were already being dropped, “Vocsnor” was still there in the group of favourites. He put those climbing legs to use in Carcassonne as well, finishing second behind compatriot Tim Wellens on stage 15.

Campenaerts underlined his new mountain skills again on the final summit finish of the race. While Thymen Arensman took the stage win, Campenaerts finished sixteenth – ahead of names like Kévin Vauquelin, Primoz Roglic and Adam Yates. The evolution of Campenaerts from pure rouleur to brilliant climbing domestique was complete – and it seems only Visma | Lease a Bike saw it coming.

Those performances were enough to earn him the Kristallen Zweetdruppel, the award for the best Belgian helper of the year, presented by Het Laatste Nieuws. “I think it’s genuinely fantastic,” he says in an interview with the Belgian outlet. “It was a very conscious decision to go down this specific road and become a domestique in a big team. I really enjoyed that role at the Tour.”

“During my career I’ve reinvented myself a few times,” he continues. "“That keeps it fresh and challenging. I feel just as enthusiastic as when I was a neo-pro, even though by now I’ve become one of the older riders in the peloton. Especially uphill I was the best version of myself this past year. I really enjoy that. Hopefully in 2026 I can be even better,”

The Tour de France remains his big objective, and it’s likely he’ll again get a place there, in the same role. “I knew the domestique work would suit me, but I didn’t think climbing would go this well. I really love being able to play an active role in how the race unfolds on the climbs.”

As the icing on the cake, “Vocsnor” received a video message from his leader Vingegaard. “Hey Victor. Congratulations on your award as best helper of the year. You really deserve it. You’re one of the best teammates I’ve ever had. In every race we do together, you completely sacrifice yourself for me. It’s a pleasure to race with you and I’m already looking forward to next season."

Vingegaard hopes to attempt the Giro–Tour double next year. “And I’d really like to be there with him, but there is absolutely no certainty about that yet,” he said. What is certain is that the Tour will always be the most important race. Even though it will be very difficult to beat Tadej. But we are his closest challengers, and Jonas is also sitting very comfortably himself in that second spot."