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Follow us on GoogleVisma | Lease a Bike have not exactly been spared misfortune in recent years, and 2026 has already delivered another hefty dose. What began with Wout van Aert’s ankle fracture has now rolled into rain and snow disrupting altitude camps in Sierra Nevada and physical issues in Oman. Once again, the Dutch squad will have to show resilience.
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We are only in the second week of February, but Visma | Lease a Bike’s plans have already been adjusted several times. Van Aert broke his ankle during the cyclo-cross in Mol and has been racing the clock ever since toward Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. The major spring Classics are not expected to be in danger, but after his crashes and setbacks in 2024 and 2025, it was still a blow.
Jonas Vingegaard, the team’s other key leader, has also been held up in his winter preparation. The Dane crashed during training and then fell ill. As a result, he pulled out of the UAE Tour, meaning he is again facing a quieter build-up toward the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France. In the past two seasons, Vingegaard followed a similarly low-profile route as well—then out of necessity after crashes.
Add in the sudden retirement of Simon Yates, the departure of Vingegaard coach Tim Heemskerk, and the problems in Oman, and the list is already substantial. At the Tour of Oman, two riders were unable to start due to illness. Team leaders Bart Lemmen (crash) and Sepp Kuss (illness) both abandoned the race.
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Visma | Lease a Bike
Visma | Lease a Bike are not worried about Vingegaard
In mid-February, nothing is lost yet—but the fact that Van Aert and several teammates are currently in Sierra Nevada, where multiple teams have reportedly been stuck in hotels for weeks due to snow and rain, could become the next headache. Can the Killer Bees get their riders to the start line in top condition to challenge superstars Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel?
Vingegaard is now expected to build toward his Giro debut via Volta a Catalunya only, although sporting director Grischa Niermann suggested to cycling journalist Daniel Benson that another race could still be added, now that the UAE Tour has dropped off his schedule. “Jonas isn’t missing much training, but small things can have an impact,” Niermann said. “We’re not worried, and with this adjustment we’re creating more room for training.”
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Jonas Vingegaard
Niermann responds to criticism of Visma | Lease a Bike
Even so, the German director will have had a moment of reflection when Vingegaard and Van Aert ran into problems again this winter. Visma | Lease a Bike have been in the spotlight regardless in recent weeks, following Yates’ retirement and criticism from riders such as Cian Uijtdebroeks and Attila Valter, who spoke about a lack of freedom within the team. They ultimately chose to leave.
Van Aert recently said on a podcast that those comments surprised him, because he feels there is plenty of room for discussion and rider input at Visma. Niermann also responded: “We have our own ideas and ways of working. We take an individual approach with every rider, and you can’t make it perfect for everyone. Some then decide to leave.”
“People are free to say what they want in the press, but some things get taken out of context or exaggerated,” the sporting director added. “We have a lot of riders who are very happy in the team and with how it functions. Simon’s retirement was surprising and unfortunate, but people should judge us on our results. We have had a lot of sick and crashed riders and that wasn’t the plan. But otherwise everything is going well. We’re sticking to our plan.”
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'.
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Latest Comments
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
- Was Bernal’s 20th place really their best GC result? I thought he might have finished higher. Either way, it sounds like a rough Tour for the whole team.gearguru3310-11-2026
- Five days in breaks with no stage win is a painful stat. The team had chances, but they need to turn those opportunities into results.julien10-11-2026
- The Onley Vuelta example makes sense: a team with someone to rally around often looks much more cohesive. Hopefully INEOS can build on that rather than expecting a quick return to the Sky years.cadencekingm10-11-2026
- Thomas is right about the ambiguity. Eight riders all chasing stages can end up pulling in different directions, even if nobody’s deliberately working against anyone. They need a clearer plan once the GC leaders are out.robert6510-11-2026
- What a mess. The report makes it sound as though nobody properly explained the decision, and that’s hard to defend.jennifer1910-11-2026
- I’m still learning the rules: does moving left in a sprint automatically bring a penalty, or does it depend on whether the other rider is blocked? It sounds like Brand wasn’t impeded here.patriciaw10-11-2026
- A final decision still needs a proper explanation. If the federation’s complaint goes nowhere, I hope the officials at least review how they handled the riders afterwards.michael5410-11-2026
- Fair play to Lucinda for saying Marie had won fair and square. That kind of sportsmanship matters, especially after such a controversial decision.raceready710-11-2026
- Schreiber beat Brand on the road, so the jury needed to explain clearly why that slight deviation warranted relegation. Being cut off before she could give her account sounds appalling.lindae10-11-2026