Visma-Lease a Bike has definitively not included any Dutch riders in the selection for the Tour de France. The largest cycling team in the Netherlands wants to compete for the overall victory with leader Jonas Vingegaard.
Visma had in januari al geen Nederlanders opgenomen in de voorselectie. The Frenchman Christophe Laporte is still struggling with the cytomegalovirus and has been replaced in the selection by Edoardo Affini. The Italian will ride the Tour for the first time.
Furthermore, the Visma selection remains unchanged. Vingegaard is going for his third Tour victory. In addition to Affini, the Dane will be supported by Sepp Kuss, Matteo Jorgenson, Simon Yates, Wout van Aert, Victor Campenaerts and Tiesj Benoot.
“With these eight very strong riders, we believe in the plan we have made for the Tour de France,” says ‘Head of Racing’ Grischa Niermann on Tuesday in a press release. “From day one, we as a team will have to be there to optimally support Jonas in the general classification.”
“In addition, there will be opportunities for various riders to go for stage victories. We look very consciously at ourselves and at our own plan. We have had an optimal preparation and therefore think we can achieve the best possible result.”
Tour-selectie Visma-Lease a Bike
Visma will ride a Tour without Dutch riders for the first time in the team’s history. Visma originated from the Rabobank team. That team started in 1996 and has ridden the Tour every season since. There has been at least one Dutch rider in the selection every year.
“We are a Dutch team and we are proud of that. But as a team we are becoming increasingly international,” Niermann said in January. “And when it comes to performance, we don’t look at the rider’s passport. We look purely at the qualities.”
The Tour starts on July 5 in Lille. Three weeks later is the final stage in Paris. Vingegaard won the Tour in 2022 and 2023. Last year he had to acknowledge his superior in the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates.