With Vingegaard absent, Visma | Lease a Bike assigns young Briton to team leader role for Italian fall races

In Bologna, Ben Tulett will take the lead. “After the Vuelta, I had some rest days to absorb everything and detox both mentally and physically,” he says on the team's website. “I’m feeling good now, and everything has gone smoothly leading up to this Italian block. The races here are very honest, and it’s some of the most aggressive racing you’ll see the entire year. I’m motivated to finish the season on a high.”

The 24-year-old climber is very explosive: perfect for the climb to San Luca. “The Giro dell'Emilia should suit my characteristics. It’s a really special finale on the San Luca, very demanding. I’m going into the race with positive intentions, and of course it’s nice to have the opportunity to race for a result myself, but we also have a strong squad there.”

Tulett will be supported by Tijmen Graat, Steven Kruijswijk, Bart Lemmen, Jørgen Nordhagen, Cian Uijtdebroeks, and Thomas Gloag. In the spring, the Visma | Lease a Bike rider was already in excellent form, given his consistency in the Ardennes: 19th in the Flèche Wallonne, 20th in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and 21st in the Amstel Gold Race. He also won the Settimana Coppi e Bartali.

It says a lot about the qualities of the young Brit, who had to come a long way after a difficult start with the Killer Bees. “I definitely feel like I’ve taken a step this year. It’s evident in the results and performances too, and I think we can be happy with that too. It also shows that the structure of the team works really well for me, so that gives me a lot of confidence for the future.”

Two days after the Tour of Emilia, Visma | Lease a Bike will be targeting another young Brit: Matthew Brennan. “Coppa Bernocchi suits Matthew really well. There are some hard hills on the laps in the middle of the race, and then a flatter run in to the finish line. He only just turned 20, and it’s been a long season for him, but he’s feeling good.”

A day later, the Tre Valli Varesine follows, another race for climbers. Tulett will once again be the team leader. “But Sepp Kuss is also flying in from America,” explains the Dutch team leader. “He has been doing some good training since the Vuelta, so we’re hoping he can do well in these races too. His skills as a one-day rider are sometimes overlooked.” Last year, for example, the American finished sixth in the Clásica Jaén.

The long season is almost over. “The mental aspect plays a huge role at this stage of the season. If you’re ready to train hard and suffer, possibly even in bad weather conditions, you’ve already made a big difference. It’s been a long season, and many riders are tired, but we have some guys here who really want to finish the season on a high and go into the winter with a good feeling.”