Visma | LaB missed out on victory despite having the odds in their favor, but the rookie of the team impressed: "That's fantastic"

Tulett and Uijtdebroek reached the summit together with Nicolas Prodhomme (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), but on the descent, they were caught by the chasing pack. Unfortunately, the Killer Bees were unable to take advantage of their numerical superiority. “The result doesn’t reflect the strength of our team,” said sports director Robert Wagner on the team’s website.

With only one big climb in the course, the Dutch team knew that the first stage wasn’t ideal. “We knew it would be a tough day, but we wanted to test ourselves. In the finale, we tried to set Ben up, but he wasn’t in the right position to sprint all-out. Still, I’m satisfied with how things went and I’ve seen how strong we are as a team. The next two stages suit us better, and we’ll be aiming for a stage win and a strong overall result.”

The Tour de l'Ain is a three-day race in the foothills of the Alps, and the next two days will be pure mountain stages. Thursday's stage to Lélex has four climbs and 3,300 meters of elevation gain, while the final stage to Belley features the dreaded Col du Grand Colombier as the decisive climb. Visma | Lease a Bike is in a great position, with Tulett, Uijtdebroeks, Jørgen Nordhagen, Wilco Kelderman, and Tijmen Graat finishing in the leading group.

That means that only one Visma rider lost time, but he is the one receiving all the praise. Tim Rex, who rides for the development team, was allowed to prove himself in the Tour de l'Ain. The 21-year-old Belgian made a fantastic impression. “Tim rode an amazing stage. He spent the first 110 kilometers at the front and then made the race hard on the final climb. That’s fantastic. He’s making great progress, which is becoming increasingly visible in races. It’s a pleasure to have such a talented young rider on the team.” Next year, Rex will officially join the elite team.