Attila Valter admits he was stunned by the "honesty and directness" when he first joined Team Visma | Lease a Bike
Cycling
When Attila Valter joined Team Visma | Lease a Bike in 2023, his dream was to work his way up the ranks of one of the world's best teams and become a key rider for hilly classics. And while the 26-year-old Hungarian certainly became an important rider for the Dutch team, it might be the uniquely honest way of communication he found most valuable in the new environment.
Valter expected Team Visma | Lease a Bike to be top in terms of support. After all, that is why he chose Team Visma | Lease a Bike. But he says in the podcast How To Become A Pro Cyclist by Jack Burke that he was especially surprised by the Dutch approach of the team. "That approach stands for honesty and directness," says Valter.
It took some getting used to to adapt to that. "At first I didn't understand how that would help us, but now I can't imagine a team that is better than Team Visma | Lease a Bike. Maybe the 'Dutch fanboy' in me is speaking, but that's because of the Dutch way of working. For the Dutch, that directness is so normal. The first time I made a mistake, someone came up to me and told me not to do it that way. That surprised me."
There is always room for an open discussion within Team Visma | Lease a Bike. "In my country, and I think in most countries, that feels uncomfortable. You don't say things out loud, or not directly to the person. It doesn't feel good. It felt strange to me, but afterwards I got used to it."
Strade Bianche 2023
The best example comes from Strade Bianche 2023, where Valter and teammate Tiesj Benoot seemed to be riding against each other more than with each other. "I thought I was doing well, but he said I had brought a group back to him. After the race he said: 'Let's wait until our heart rate is under a hundred, then we'll take a shower and then we'll talk about it on the bus.'"
"In any other team you don't talk about it anymore, or you let it drag on for six months. We had a coffee together the next day. There were no hard feelings . People still can't believe that."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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- And we, what are we doing?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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