Inside Visma | Lease a Bike's rider transfer strategy, and how it has shaped the 2026 Tour de France team

Visma | Lease a Bike came under scrutiny recently when it lost several big names from its roster and, apparently, failed to bring any new ones in. As of mid-2026, that criticism seems to be dying down, as Head of Strategy Patrick Broe notes in a conversation with Daniel Benson.

Broe, more well known as host of the Lanterne Rouge Cycling Podcast, has been working for Visma | Lease a Bike since 2023. In 2023 he was promoted to the team’s sports management. In his quest to develop the best racing strategy, Broe is also closely involved in the team’s transfers and signings.

For example, in 2025 and 2026, Visma | Lease a Bike signed seven riders from outside the team: Davide Piganzoli, Owain Doull, Bruno Armirail, Filippo Fiorelli, Louis Barré, Timo Kielich, and Anton Schiffer. Pietro Mattio and Tim Rex were also promoted from the development team.

With the departure of riders such as Tiesj Benoot and Olav Kooij to Decathlon CMA CGM, and the moves of Dylan van Baarle and Cian Uijtdebroeks to Soudal Quick-Step and Movistar, it seemed that Visma | Lease a Bike was losing some of its quality. But by 2026, the team had already secured 29 victories.

The new riders have already proven their worth, and Broe has noticed that too. “We already had Jonas Vingegaard, Wout van Aert, Matteo Jorgenson, and Matthew Brennan on the team. Those four are world-class—we were convinced of that.”

"Since we didn't get the most out of them in terms of wins in 2024 and 2025, we started focusing on finding ways to better support them so we can win the biggest races," said Broe.

"Was there anyone on the market last winter who was better than Jorgensen and Brennan? Not in my opinion. So it made sense to extend Matteo's contract through 2029, rather than bringing in someone who might not even be that good."

With Doull, Fiorelli, and Schiffer, the team brought in three seemingly lesser-known riders, but Broe found in the trio exactly the added value that the four leaders of Visma | Lease a Bike need. “Piganzoli was also somewhat overlooked; he was a great addition to our team.”

Broe saw the shortcomings in the roster simply by watching the races, but he also had to let riders go—such as Kooij and Benoot—due to budget constraints. “Then you have to invest in talent for the future. We already knew a year ago that Matisse Van Kerckhove was on his way.”

When it comes to young talent, the selection is much more data-driven. That’s how Alessandro Pinarello (Bardiani) and Matthew Riccitello (Israel-Premier Tech) ended up on the list. The talent pool isn’t very large to draw from, so everyone was thrilled to sign Piganzoli.

Because, as Broe points out, UAE Emirates-XRG doesn’t just snap up all the top riders either. That team also has to work within a budget and focuses primarily on young talent. “That competition is very intense, but I was, for example, very surprised that Bruno Armirail was available. That was a no-brainer.”