Have Visma selected their '8' for the Tour de France? Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert joined by Matteo Jorgenson, Sepp Kuss and more
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Team Visma | Lease a Bike have possibly made their decision when it comes to the riders they will be having at the Tour de France. In Tignes, a few more riders have joined Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert in Tignes; and this may have given the final clues as to who will race the Grand Boucle.
An official announcement does not exist at the time being, but after several weeks training at altitude in the French ski station, it is virtually confirmed that both van Aert and defending champion Vingegaard will race the Tour. Both have suffered horrific injuries this spring but have recovered in time, and both have shown good signs in recent training sessions. Van Aert has been putting in long rides in the mountains whilst Vingegaard overcame his collarbone fracture and is training on the time-trial bike. Since early June, both have been joined by European champion Christophe Laporte.
The Criterium du Dauphiné sidelined two riders who were expected to race the Tour: Steven Kruijswijk and Dylan van Baarle. Both crashed simultaneously and abandoned the race with fractures, ruling them out of the Tour. Matteo Jorgenson rode to second and after a brilliant season, is a certainty in the lineup. Tiesj Benoot has been part of this block, he and Sepp Kuss (who hasn't actually been in good form recently) are also scheduled for months to be in this race.
Jan Tratnik is expected to be the seventh rider in the list. The Slovenian was in the shortlist throughout the season and, with the team's recent injuries, is expected to fit in the role of Dylan van Baarle: An experienced classics rider who can also climb very well. In a picture recently shared, Tratnik is in Tignes, but Sepp Kuss was not yet seen - however this shouldn't be interpreted with concern, as only in recent days did the riders who raced the Dauphiné make the trip.
One spot is left and there are two possibilities. Olav Kooij has talked about how if the team is willing to bet on him, he's ready to make a Tour de France debut. This would be in the case of Jonas Vingegaard missing out on the race, which is highly unlikely. A replacement for Kruijswijk is the most likely scenario and the chances are very high that Wilco Kelderman will fill in the spot, having shown great form (and finished ninth) at the recent Tour de Suisse; months after an injury sidelined him from the initial plan to race the Giro d'Italia.
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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.
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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)...
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MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Seriously do you think when somebody gets into a serious accident, the ambulance is called by the hurt person?🤦 there is always a buddy system in place for a risky job. police , firefighters etc so that if someone gets hurt, the other call that in.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
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Team Visma Lease a Bike Tignes training camp squad. 💛🖤 As it looks like this will be their Tour de France team: Jonas Vingegaard 🇩🇰 Wout Van Aert 🇧🇪 Sepp Kuss 🇺🇸 Matteo Jorgenson 🇺🇸 Tiesj Bennot 🇧🇪 Christophe Laporte 🇫🇷 Wilco Kelderman 🇳🇱 Jan Tratnik 🇸🇮
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