Transfer trouble at Visma | Lease a Bike: Intermarché makes it difficultl, and Vermote may be forced into retirement

First, there is Louis Barré, a 25-year-old Frenchman who was not actually on Visma | Lease a Bike's wish list. But the puncher came into the picture due to the upcoming merger. Barré made an impression as an explosive climber, especially in the French spring races, but later in the season, he was part of the best in Italian one-day races and the GP Montréal, among others.

Barré is now set to be the incoming transfer for Visma | Lease a Bike for the coming season. However, the rider has been placed on hold now that Intermarché-Wanty stepped in. Barré seemed to be a transfer-free rider after the merger between Lotto and Intermarché, but according to Wielerflits, the Belgian team is pointing to his contract, which runs until the end of 2026.

According to UCI rules, as a rider, you are free to go wherever you want if your team merges with another team. But Intermarché points to Belgian labor law. “The collective labor agreement no. 32bis of June 7, 1985 stipulates that employees retain the same rights – and therefore their contract – in the event of a transfer or merger between two employers,” it states.

And so, Intermarché claims that Barré is under contract until 2026 and, for that reason, wants to be compensated by Visma | Lease a Bike for the transfer. Reportedly, all signatures are already on the contract with the Dutch team, but they are now awaiting confirmation. The same applies to the transfer of Biniam Girmay to Premier Tech, for which Intermarché wants to see money.

Without Barré officially on the list, Visma | Lease a Bike currently has two spots open in the selection for 2026. With Owain Doull, Filippo Fiorelli, and Davide Piganzoli, among others, some riders have already been signed, and Olav Kooij, Tiesj Benoot, Cian Uijtdebroeks, and Julien Vermote, among others, have left.

Unlike the other departing riders, 36-year-old Vermote does not yet have a new team, so he sounded hopeful in Het Nieuwsblad: “I feel that I can still be an asset to teams. I can be deployed anywhere and can ride in support of different riders. These days, there aren't that many riders who can win a race. And I can help riders win.”

However, the merger of Lotto and Intermarché is a problem for Vermote, who would have liked to stay with Visma | Lease a Bike. However, like almost all teams, they are focusing on young talent. “They all think they'll miss out on the next Pogacar or Remco,” says Vermote. “I realize that a sports career is finite and that you have to be at peace with it when it's over, but I'm not going just to let it go. I've worked too hard for that in the past.”