“I loved Team Visma | Lease a Bike but Bahrain really believed in me” - Attila Valter explains “difficult decision” to leave Visma

Attila Valter has opened up on the thinking behind his move to Bahrain Victorious, describing a transfer driven not by frustration but by a need for confidence and clarity after three seasons inside the Team Visma | Lease a Bike structure.

The Hungarian all-rounder stressed that leaving one of the sport’s benchmark teams was not an easy call. However, the promise of trust, opportunity and a clearer sporting focus ultimately proved decisive.

“I experienced what I could experience there,” Valter said in conversation with Cyclism’Actu. “And I really felt, especially after 2025, that I needed a change and that I needed more confidence.”

Valter underlined that his time at Visma remains something he values highly, even as he turns the page on that chapter of his career.

“It was a difficult decision, because I loved Team Visma | Lease a Bike. I still consider it one of the best teams, of course,” he said. “But Bahrain were really enthusiastic about giving me a place in many good races. They really believed in me, and that confidence was something I had missed.”

While a change of team often brings a sharp contrast in working culture, Valter explained that the step to Bahrain - Victorious has not meant a drop in standards. On the contrary, he admitted the level of professionalism matched what he had grown used to in the Dutch setup.

“Bahrain are much more professional than I expected,” he said. “We had long discussions beforehand and they convinced me, so I already knew they had a professional vision.”

From training methodology to nutrition, Valter described a continuity that has eased the transition into his new surroundings. “It is really comparable with what I felt in recent years at Visma. From the point of view of food, from the point of view of training, from everything.”

At Bahrain Victorious, Valter is expected to enjoy greater freedom, particularly in the spring classics, with Strade Bianche already highlighted as a key objective. At the same time, he has been clear that his versatility remains central to his value as a rider.

“At Visma, I was more of a domestique, which was not a problem for me,” he said. “But I am always enthusiastic about chasing my own results.”

That dual role is something he expects to continue. “With good preparation I can be one of the best domestiques, on the flat and in the mountains,” Valter explained. “If I do races and they need me, I would be happy to be a domestique. But I like the fact that we are focusing on what I am capable of doing.”

For Valter, the move is less about rejecting his past and more about unlocking his future. With belief restored and opportunities promised, Bahrain Victorious now represents the platform he hopes will allow his ambitions to fully take shape.