Departure of key DS a "very big loss" for Visma according to insiders: "He made every part of the team better in every way"

Merijn Zeeman has played a key role within the Team Visma | Lease a Bike set up over recent years. Before the 2024 season has even been fully completed however, the Dutchman has departed his role for a different kind of challenge at Dutch football team, AZ Alkmaar.

"It is indeed a very big loss. I was also a big fan of his and I will miss him a lot, but on the other hand, he needed a new challenge and I can understand that," another one of Team Visma | Lease a Bike's sports directors, Frans Maassen admits in conversation with Cycling News about the subject of Zeeman's departure. "He made every part of the team better in every way. Not only the riders but also the staff and the equipment, he put a lot of pressure everywhere to become better and it's a lot of credit to him that we achieved such a high level."

During the course of his time with the team, Zeeman helped turn Visma from perennial also-rans to genuine contenders in almost every single race they compete in nowadays. "It's pretty big. I won't lie to you about it. He was the guy who brought me into the team. He's my first point of contact, and he's also been a mentor throughout this whole year for me," says Paris-Nice winner Matteo Jorgenson. "I see it as a big loss for the team and I've also told the team that. But that was his decision fully, it's not like he's got fired or something. I really like him. We have a really good relationship, and I can tell he had a huge part in shaping the whole team, and I don't think that's going to go away overnight."

It's not even just the riders he's worked with over recent seasons that are disappointed by Zeeman's departure from Visma. Simon Yates won't officially become a Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider until January 1st, 2025, but the former Vuelta a Espana winner also lamented the fact that Zeeman won't be there when he arrives.

"It's massive, actually, because we were discussing for quite a long time and I was still a bit reserved about whether or not to go. It was obviously a very interesting offer and an idea, but I was still a little bit on the fence," Yates added. "I've been on this team [Team Jayco AIUIa] for 11 years, this is my team, let's say football terms - I support this team. But he [Zeeman] called me up and he just finally convinced me to sort of push it over the line."