"I want to be part of their victories": Visma's new recruit looks forward to riding next to Vingegaard and Van Aert

Team Visma | Lease a Bike was quite modest with their transfer market activities, not rushing to replace the departing Olav Kooij and Tiesj Benoot. However the Lotto-Intermarché merger brought to their front door Louis Barré, a rising talent for the hilly classics. Of course he's far from a one-for-one replacement for the riders mentioned above, but the 25-year-old Frenchman could well turn out to have been a jackpot for his new employers.

I would describe myself as a puncheur who likes long, tough one-day races, so that’s also where I want to develop," Barré introduces himself in a press release before the 2026 season begins.

"The biggest moment of my career, apart from riding into Paris in the Tour de France, was my performance in the Amstel Gold Race, where I raced with the best. I dream of winning races like Amstel, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Grand Prix de Montréal."

After meeting his teammates for the first time, Barré quickly felt good in the new environment. "The atmosphere here is really good, and I’ve been enjoying meeting all the new people. The team is one of the biggest in the world, and I’m really looking forward to working for big leaders like Wout and Jonas, who can teach me a lot about racing in general. I really want to be part of their victories."

With his performances in 2025 in mind, Barré will not only be on domestique duty. He will also get the chance to lead the Bees in races and stages that suit him.

"Sometimes my teammates will also be able to help me with my goals, which is exciting. In the Ardennes, we will probably have multiple leaders, so we can play different cards in the finale, which I think is a great tactical option," Barré concludes about his calendar.

Barré will open his season quite late - in Ardeche at the end of February. Then comes Strade Bianche and Itzulia Basque Country just ahead of the Ardennes Classics. No Grand Tour is on Barré's provisional programme, leaving the summer schedule a bit of a mystery. However autumn should see him return to Canada for GP Quebec and GP Montreal before wrapping up the season at Il Lombardia.