“Dream to make the leap to the WorldTour” – Visma take a gamble and sign triathlete and master’s student

Last week, Team Visma | Lease a Bike confirmed the signing of 25-year-old Anton Schiffer, a late-blooming rider with an unusual background. Born in Cologne, Schiffer only took up cycling in January 2023 after struggling with recurring running injuries during his years as a triathlete. With the approval of his current squad, BIKE AID, he will transfer to Visma on October 1.

For Schiffer, the opportunity represents the fulfilment of a lifelong ambition. "It's really cool," he told In de Leiderstrui. "I think it's every Conti rider's dream to make the leap to the WorldTour, and that was the case for me too. The fact that it's now becoming a reality is something I'm over the moon about. I'm really looking forward to it and raring to go."

Schiffer’s rapid rise is remarkable. "I started out as a triathlete. I did that throughout my youth, but at some point I started dealing with running injuries due to overuse. From that point on, I gradually started focusing more on cycling. At first, without a clear plan, but over the months, I started swimming and running less and cycling more," he explained.

Within months, he was racing for BIKE AID’s development setup, and by August 2023 he had been promoted to their continental team. "In 2023, I rode my first races for the BIKE Aid development team at the amateur level. In August of that year, I moved to the continental team, where my progress actually continued. The results got better, and that's how it went." He even came close to earning a WorldTour contract through the Zwift Academy, but narrowly missed out with Alpecin-Deceuninck in 2024.

For Visma, the signing is both a gamble and an investment in untapped potential. Sporting manager Grischa Niermann praised the newcomer: "We think he can still improve a lot in all areas. From the conversations we've had, it's clear he's a great fit for us. Despite riding for a small team, he's already managed to secure his first professional victory. That demonstrates his absolute talent. We're looking forward to working with him and are happy that we can deploy him for the team starting in October."

Schiffer revealed that Visma’s interest followed strong performances early this season. "At the beginning of this season, I achieved some good results, including the Tour of Greece. Visma | Lease a Bike contacted me after that race. Patrick Broe, who you may know from the Lanterne Rouge podcast, was the first to contact me by phone. After that, I had some good meetings, including with Mathieu Heijboer and other members of the Performance team. I also spoke with Grischa Niermann."

He admitted that several other teams were keen, but Visma stood out. "Visma | Lease a Bike was one of the first teams to approach me, but there were two or three others. But I have to say, and I've always told them this, that Visma was always my number one choice. After the German national championship, where I finished third, things moved quickly and I received several concrete offers. Visma | Lease a Bike then made me an offer, and that quickly sealed the deal."

Part of what makes Schiffer unique is his scientific mindset. "I have a Master's degree in Human Movement Sciences, and those nerdy data analyses are totally my thing. Aerodynamics, performance, lactate testing, threshold values, Vo2 max, lab tests, and so on—those are all things I'm very involved with," he said.

"I'm currently working on this professionally myself, as a coach. I train triathletes myself, and it's something I really enjoy. That also aligns perfectly with Visma | Lease a Bike, because they're progressive when it comes to everything related to performance and aerodynamics. Their approach to cycling really appeals to me." He admits his knowledge has helped him so far, but also recognises the challenge ahead. “Normally, you don't get that support with a continental team, but I do know certain things. On the other hand, it's also harder to put those things into practice with a WorldTour team, because they already have a lot of the knowledge. So far, it's definitely helped me."

Looking to the future, Schiffer is clear about both his limitations and his ambitions. "How much potential is still in me? Hah! That's a question I often ask myself. When other riders or athletes join my training program, that's also the first question. And what I always say: there's no data on which you can base that. Your past development offers no guarantees for your future development. But with my background, my cycling training base might not be as extensive yet, as I've only been training at the volume of an average WorldTour professional for a year. And then there's the fact that external factors—the equipment, my teammates, the nutrition—are still improving at Visma | Lease a Bike."

Right now, he identifies himself as a specialist for medium climbs, but hopes to grow further. "Right now, I see myself as a punchy climber. Twenty-minute climbs suit me best, but that's also because of my training style. We're also going to try to become a GC rider at Visma | Lease a Bike, at least that's the plan."