"I am becoming more and more of a cyclist" - Team Visma | Lease a Bike's new world champion going from strength to strength
Cycling
Niklas Behrens has quickly established himself as one of
cycling’s most promising young talents. The German rider claimed the Under-23
World Championship title in Zurich last year, and over the winter, he
transitioned from Lidl-Trek’s development team to Team Visma | Lease a Bike.
His rapid rise in the sport has been superb so far, considering he has only
been racing for two years.
"He has only been racing for two years," team
manager Maarten Wynants explained in an interview with Wielerflits. "But
he has developed very quickly from nothing in that short time. Perhaps because
he is so eager to learn. He absorbs everything very well. He always does
something with all the feedback you give him. Those are good qualities."
Behrens' journey to professional cycling has been
unconventional. "I started as a swimmer when I was eight, following in the
footsteps of both my parents. Then I switched to triathlon and now I am
here," Behrens explained. "I don’t really know why I took those
steps, I just followed my talent for racing. In triathlons, I always struggled
with running, and I had just been swimming for far too long. I was ready for
something new."
His world title victory has significantly raised his
profile. "It has been one big journey of discovery for Niklas. But that
world title has put him on the map, which means that people are looking at him
more," Wynants noted.
Behrens' physical transformation has been an ongoing process
since his days as a swimmer. "My body is still changing, after I started
as a swimmer," he said. "My upper body was a bit wider for a long
time. That cost me extra watts for a long time, but now I am becoming more and
more of a cyclist. Fortunately, the engine from my triathlon days is still the
same."
While his stature provides certain advantages, it also
presents some challenges, "In the lead-outs it is," Behrens pointed
out. "I can see over the peloton well, and on the flat, that is my
strength." His power on the flat has already been noticed, with Cian
Uijtdebroeks mentioning how he liked riding behind Behrens in the Tour of Oman.
However, his size may work against him in tougher terrains. "But
in the WorldTour races, it will be to his disadvantage if he has to lug 80
kilograms over the mountains," Wynants remarked. "He compensates for
that with his power and can still climb quite well. It is not that he cannot
survive anything. He is actually a modern cyclist."
Despite his impressive performances, Behrens' long-term
trajectory remains uncertain. "It is difficult to say where he will end
up," Wynants admitted. "He is a pure hard rider and classics rider.
But he is very open to it and we will have to see how far his journey goes. We
will certainly make adjustments where necessary, but for now, he is doing
fantastic."
Behrens himself is embracing the transition to the
professional ranks without hesitation. "It's not that I have to get used
to it very hard. Just like in swimming, this world is also very
professional," he said. "That really does not differ that much from
sport to sport. But in any case, it is good that I ended up with this team.
"We
have the White Jersey Group where everyone gets their chances. For example, I
can already ride Paris-Roubaix as a helper and work in the lead-outs, but also
sometimes go for my own chances. And all that in a family and pleasant
environment. That is why I am certainly not going to face the future with
stress, but with good courage."
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as 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. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- 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
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
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