Grischa Niermann and Visma do not fear Pogacar or Van der Poel: “We know that our men are in good shape"

As Team Visma | Lease a Bike prepares for the E3 Saxo Bank Classic, head of racing Grischa Niermann has shared a candid assessment of his team’s form and ambitions, and how they stack up against the sport’s biggest stars, Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel.

Wout van Aert and Matteo Jorgenson headline Visma’s line-up for Friday’s showdown, which marks the start of a crucial stretch in the cobbled classics campaign. Speaking to Wielerflits, Niermann offered a grounded perspective on where his riders stand relative to cycling’s current elite.

“We know that our men are in good shape; we assume that they are ready to compete with them,” Niermann said, referring to Pogacar and Van der Poel, who alongside Filippo Ganna delivered a masterclass at last weekend’s Milano-Sanremo.

Visma had bet on a sprint for Olav Kooij for Sanremo, a plan that fell apart once the expected attack materialised on the Cipressa. The resulting selection left Kooij and most of the peloton behind as the leading trio powered away.

“I saw a very good race from those three there,” Niermann said. “You could clearly see that the best three riders in the race were at the front. Their performance was impressive, you can only say chapeau to that. But it was not more impressive than I had expected. For me it is clear that Pogacar and Van der Poel are the top favourites and we are not at the moment. That is fine.”

Despite acknowledging his team’s underdog status compared to cycling’s dominant duo, Niermann believes his riders are still capable of challenging for the win.

“Despite that, we also have very good riders,” he said. “Although I do think that more riders will think that if they had been on the wheel on the Cipressa, they would have been able to keep up. Although that remains a matter of guesswork. In any case, we know that our men are in good shape. We assume that they can compete with Pogacar, Van der Poel and Ganna. That we can compete for the victories in the coming two weeks. But again: those men delivered a very good performance in San Remo.”

Among Visma’s brightest hopes is Matteo Jorgenson, fresh off back-to-back victories at Paris-Nice.

“Matteo has won Paris-Nice for the second year in a row. He is in a very, very good position. A bit like last year, but he is now a year older, stronger and hopefully wiser,” Niermann explained.

Meanwhile, Wout van Aert enters the cobbled classics season after a carefully planned training block rather than race exposure. Niermann believes Van Aert has followed the right process but admits his form remains a question mark.

“Wout has had a very good training block, exactly as we had planned. He is also in a good position. Only we know a little less about that than with Matteo, because you don't know how Wout compares to the competition. Pedaling values in training is one thing. But in the end, you don't win races purely on how hard you can do a five-minute effort when you are still relatively fresh in training.”

Van Aert’s subdued performance during the Opening Weekend raised eyebrows, and even Niermann admits the Belgian would have liked to start the season on stronger footing.

“Of course, he would have preferred to have come out better there. Wout was certainly not at his best yet, but we knew that. Of course, you go on a training camp with a better feeling if you have won twice. But as I also told you before the Opening Weekend: in recent years we have dominated everything from the Omloop het Nieuwsblad to the Tour of Flanders. That looks different now and we will take it as it comes. Because it has to happen in the next two and a half weeks. We hope that our men are all in the best possible shape now.”

The E3 Saxo Bank Classic is more than just a warm-up for De Ronde and Roubaix, it’s a goal in its own right for Visma.

“We have four very strong riders for these races. With Visma | Lease a Bike we always try to win from the collective. Who that is, doesn't really matter to us. As long as we win or get in a position to triumph.”

Niermann sees Friday’s race as a barometer for form, but not the be-all and end-all in their classics campaign.

“In that respect, the E3 Saxo Classic is a very nice race. We can see who is in good shape and who isn't. But it's not the case that if we don't get a podium here, we automatically don't have a chance in De Ronde.”

The goal, ultimately, is to be there in the final, and with numbers.

“This is a big race in itself that we really want to win, regardless of what this says about the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Wout has won the E3 twice, but unfortunately not twice a week later De Ronde. Of course, if you are completely out of shape here, you are not suddenly in top condition nine days later.

"What I would like to see is that we as a team play a role in the final on Friday. And not with one rider, but as a block. That is how we want to race. And what kind of result that brings, we will see at the finish line.”