Visma | Lease a Bike turns to a surprising Eritrean to fill a Simon Yates-shaped hole

Visma | Lease a Bike appears to remain active in the transfer market. The Dutch team had previously been linked to Jai Hindley, but the Australian seems to have opted for a longer stay with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe after all. Now, another surprising name is being mentioned in connection with Visma | Lease a Bike as a potential addition for next season.

Hindley was seen as the perfect replacement for Simon Yates, who retired earlier this season after just one season with Visma—having won the Giro d'Italia and a stage at the Tour. In the end, Hindley appeared to turn down that position. In its search for reinforcements, Visma | Lease a Bike has not settled on a direct replacement for the Brit, but rather a completely different type of rider.

Natnael Tesfatsion has been named as a new addition to the Dutch team. The 27-year-old Eritrean’s contract with his current team, Movistar, is set to expire, and Visma | Lease a Bike appears to be looking to capitalize on this, according to transfer guru Daniel Benson. Tesfatsion is known as an excellent all-rounder, with both strong climbing ability and a fierce sprint. His versatility would be a great asset.

Tesfatsion made his WorldTour debut with Lidl-Trek in 2023 after making a splash with Drone Hopper - Androni Giocattoli in previous years. At the age of 22, he won the Tour of Rwanda, finished second in the Giro dell'Appennino, and placed in the top ten twice in the Giro d'Italia. Things didn't go quite as smoothly at Lidl-Trek, so he opted to transfer to Movistar.

Riding for the Spanish team, the Eritrean is having an outstanding year, with top finishes in Australia, the Basque Country, and Eschborn-Frankfurt. The crowning achievement came at the Four Days of Dunkirk, where— on his 27th birthday, no less —he won the queen stage. He fell just short of the overall victory, losing it by seven points to Laurence Pithie.

After his excellent results, Movistar is eager to keep Tesfatsion. According to Benson, a two-year contract is on the table, but the rider isn’t ready to sign just yet. Visma | Lease a Bike appears to be the leading contender for his signature. On the Dutch team, Steven Kruijswijk (retiring), Edoardo Affini, Christophe Laporte, and Loe van Belle do not (yet) have contracts for 2027.