Visma | Lease a Bike’s biggest Classics “signing” for 2026 may come from within

Laporte joined the team in 2022 and, in his first two seasons, became a crucial piece in the spring one-day races. Among other highlights, he won Gent–Wevelgem and Dwars door Vlaanderen. Later, in 2023, he took the European title on the VAM-berg ahead of Van Aert and Kooij, added Paris–Tours to his palmarès and also came away with Olympic bronze.

But the last two springs have been anything but straightforward. The 33-year-old missed a large part of spring 2024 through injury and illness, and in 2025 he only started his season in August due to a persistent virus. Still, he finished the year strongly: in mid-October he won the overall at the reinvented Tour of Holland after earlier podium finishes that month in Binche and Paris–Tours.

“Personally, it was extremely important for me to return to a high level at the end of the season and head into the winter period with confidence. I didn’t want to constantly wonder whether I would ever be able to get back to my old level.”

“Now I’m convinced that I can. Next season, I want to be the best version of myself again. I feel good, actually better than I expected. During my vacation, I put the bike aside for three weeks and then happily started training again. Mentally, I’m fully recharged.,” he says via the team’s official channels.

'“As a team, we need to be at our best in the spring. Over the past two years, I wasn’t fit and largely had to skip most of the spring season. My goal now is to be in perfect shape again and to fight for victories with the team,” Laporte indicated.

“And especially in the biggest classics: Milan-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix”, Laporte lists. “But actually, every spring classic is a major race in my mind. Wherever we line up, we have to be racing for the win.” I would love to win Paris–Roubaix one day. That’s my dream. Winning it as a French rider on home soil would be incredible. Of course, that race also requires a lot of luck. Hopefully this year will be our team’s day.”

“But actually, every spring classic is a major race in my mind. Wherever we line up, we have to be racing for the win,” sounds motivated from the man who starts his year in the Ruta del Sol this week.

“Personally, I just want to enjoy cycling again and be able to race as I used to. I feel like I’m still improving. My level at the end of the season was already quite strong, and I’m holding on to that feeling during the training camps now. As a team, we want to win the biggest races. To do that, I need to be at my very best in 2026”, Laporte concludes.