"I immediately noticed that it is a very family-like team" - Meet Team Visma | Lease a Bike's new coach who hopes to help Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert back to glory

Robby Cobbaert, 34, is a surprising addition to Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s management staff for the 2025 season. Cobbaert, who previously worked for Jurgen Mettepenningen's Pauwels Sauzen - Bingoal cyclo-cross team, recently spoke with Wielerflits about his new role and the journey that led him to this point.

“This is a serious step. But also a compliment for my work with Jurgen's riders over the past few years. Otherwise they wouldn't come knocking on your door,” Cobbaert said.

Cobbaert’s background includes a stint as a part-time professional cyclist at the continental level with Cibel-Cebon, where he enjoyed some success. “I was a part-time pro at continental level for Cibel-Cebon for two years. During that period I won a 1.2 race which was the highlight of my career as a cyclist. The last two years that I cycled, I started to suffer from arterial narrowing. I only raced for fun then. But that was also more on one leg than on two, and moreover at Christmas racing level.”

In 2022, Cobbaert transitioned into coaching, taking charge of Jurgen’s youth team and later moving into a managerial role. “In 2022, I was allowed to start coaching Jurgen's youth team, and I also raced a few races myself. But when I got the chance to succeed Richard Groenendaal as team manager of the pros, I could easily put my own ambitions aside and stop my career. Then you have something where you can continue your passion. If you had told me then that I would be at Visma | Lease a Bike two years later, I wouldn't have believed it. It went much faster than expected.”

Cobbaert acknowledges the difference between cyclo-cross and road racing but feels his experience has prepared him for the challenges ahead. “You can’t really compare cyclo-cross and road racing. At Pauwels Sauzen-Bingoal I did coach the road programme in races such as Dwars door het Hageland, the Tour de Wallonie and Baloise Belgium Tour, but that was about forty days of racing. Now it will be at least three times as many. I think it was a good step to start. You also saw that with Gianni Meersman, who has progressed to Alpecin-Deceuninck. I learned a lot about logistics. In a smaller team you are responsible for much more, and that way you learn all aspects of the job.”

On his coaching style, Cobbaert emphasises collaboration with the riders. “I try to be among the riders and come to something with a lot of consultation. I think that is very important. I am from the same generation as many of the current riders, and some are even older than me. In that case I don’t think you can or should be above them. Coming to a plan together with the rider, that has always worked for me in the past. I want to remain myself in that area.”

Looking ahead, Cobbaert will aim to help Jonas Vingegaard reclaim the Tour de France title from Tadej Pogacar and support Wout van Aert in securing his first monument victory since 2020. He described his early experiences with the team and how welcoming they have been. “I started with the team from the first meetings that started in early October. You then arrive at the service course, you consult with all the team leaders. That was all much larger-scale than I was used to, often it involved meetings with 20 to 25 people. I immediately noticed that it is a very family-like team. I met the riders for the first time at the December training camp. But you never feel new, everyone is just very sociable and friendly.”