"A rider who is, in truth, too good for our team" - Visma talent set to become leader for Dutch continental team
Cycling
After three years at Team Visma | Lease a Bike, Dutch rider Loe van Belle has official signed with BEAT Cycling. The Dutch rider steps down to continental level, but will find himself in the position to become a leader of his own.
"As an under-23 rider, Loe truly excelled in both demanding races and explosive, punchy events," team manager Thijs Zonneveld, himself a known pundit in the Dutch scene, said on the BEAT Cycling Podcast - confirming the signing of the Dutchman for a one-year contract.
"He arrived at Visma | Lease a Bike with a stellar reputation, but he’s had a rather difficult few years there. While he showed flashes of his ability, he also dealt with personal issues, physical setbacks, and crashes".
The 24-year old was a domestique throughout his stint with Visma, showcasing his talent as a classics specialist above all. His ability to race on the flat and hilly terrain saw him become a valuable member of the team.
But there was one major obstacle: "When you’re with a major team like that and you aren’t among the top ten or fifteen riders, you don’t get selected for the biggest races. Instead, you’re tasked with supporting riders like Vingegaard, Kooij, or Van Aert".
"It becomes very difficult to pursue your own opportunities under those circumstances".
Loe van Belle of Team Visma | Lease a Bike is set to be a leader at BEAT Cycling
BEAT Cycling get one of their best opportunities yet
Van Belle recently had Top10 results at the ZLM Tour and Tour of Guangxi with Visma, but was the only rider from the 2026 roster to not have a contract signed until recently. But his abilities have not gone unnoticed.
"We watched Loe race in the ZLM Tour, and he was absolutely fantastic—one of the best riders in the field. We did our homework and spoke with many people to get a clear picture of his strengths and limitations. For us, it’s quite simple: this is an incredible opportunity".
Van Belle becomes BEAT's new World Tour figure
The team is not an unknown to hosting former World Tour riders, has had happened with the likes of Martijn Tusveld and David Dekker; and as will be the case with Jayco AlUla's Jelte Krijnsen.
The team has also seen the development of Frits Biesterbos, now Team Picnic PostNL's soon-to-be head sprinter and a winner at the recent Tour of Guangxi.
Van Belle is set to be a key figure in the Dutch team: "He’s a rider with such high quality and experience—in my view, we’re bringing in a genuine World Tour-caliber rider. If we don’t get too carried away and give him the right opportunities, he’ll be back at that level in a year or two," Zonneveld assured.
"in which case, we’ll have served as a stepping stone. If we do push things further and manage to grow into a ProTeam, then we hope he might continue racing for us. It’s quite clear that we’re bringing in a rider who is, in truth, too good for our team."
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Exactly the same jarring quote that drew my attention too. Whenever Pedersen is mentioned I always recall the late great Richard Moore depicting him as an uncooperative pain in the backside on The Cycling Podcast. Never heard him disparage another rider in that manner which I think says it all really.mikebeast28-10-2026
- largely agree. but then he destroys all of his arguments with saying that 'It is what puts food on the table'. i don't know how in many 3star restaurants you have to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner every day to spend your 2.5 mio € from that crivit deal alone ... how much more out of contact with the real world can you get?Ketterechts28-10-2026
- next year, there will be at least 3 riders in front of jonas at the tdf: remco, seixas and lipo. maybe lipo does not really benefit from the long TTs. but i find it hard to believe that people still cannot see the trend. until 25, there was never a doubt that pogi and jonas would share 1 and 2. but last year jonas made such an insecure impression that - although still at 2 at the time of his crashout - he was unable to put distance between himself and some of those mentioned above on mountain stages. all you need to do is to extrapolate this trend ... no rocket science.Ketterechts28-10-2026
- When it comes to stage racing like the the Giro, Tour and Vuelta, Jonas is still No.2. The only cyclist, at this moment, that might push him back is Seixas, but he still has to prove that. Remco will NEVER be better than Jonas in long and steep climbs. He isn't consistent enough, which he proved once again in Il Lombardia, where young Seixas beat him with his left foot. @wrsty, you're absolutely right in saying: "That the people running the Tour (ASO) have a vested interest in aiding a French challenger who goes by the name of Seixas." I have nothing against young Seixas, he's a great rider and will keep getting better every year. I like his way of thinking. He said: "I want to beat Tadej now, when he's at his best, not when he will start to decline because of his age." Now that's how real champions think. I just hate when someone wants to meddle (ASO) by making courses for "someone special" or maybe sending doping agencies after riders at two o'clock in the morning. F*** them all !!!PogiSloFans28-10-2026
- OK, I agree with you, anything is possible when sh** happens, but I still think Jonas is better on the big climbs. Seixas will soon be better than Remco. We all saw he had no chance against Seixas in Il Lombardia.PogiSloFans28-10-2026
- or they pick the right races that somehow Tadej isn't in, likely Seixas, and Jonas too.mij28-10-2026
- Well stooging him completely on their 2027 course isn't exactly helping either is it. "hmm this guy likes long climbs, let's have none of those" smashcut to them saying he's washed. Could it be that the people running the Tour have a vested interest in aiding a French challenger? hmm no way, surely not!wrsty28-10-2026
- A bit sad that the second best GC rider should miss the Tour. But the course really doesn't suit him. Maybe they should go for Giro - Vuelta and the two Swiss races he miss in his palmares. Time waits for no man and chasing the Tour in these circumstances could end up being an exercise in frustration and a waste of time.Lars7528-10-2026
- You had to mild injury I would suspect. A C7 fracture will cause sever impact on your racing ability in an extreme TT position between a sustained 300 watts and 400 watts over longer distances like we will see in next years tour, you will see Tadej taking a new TT position during next years early racing calendar that he participates in that incorporates a time trial. I've already spoken to people in that circle who are discussing it based on how he reacts as he starts training again on the tt bike. You will see this soon enough, call me out next year if I'm wrong. I'll be here.awp28-10-2026
- @PogiSloFans Yeah, I'm talking about what's possible, ignoring the "quality" question entirely. All Remco needed to win the Tour this year is Pog to crash 6 weeks earlier. That means Remco CAN win the Tour, even if it's not very likely.acem8228-10-2026
Loading
Write a comment