“I was really closest to him” – Matteo Jorgenson faces Tour de France reset as Jonas Vingegaard’s tactical mastermind Grischa Niermann heads to Lidl-Trek
CyclingThursday, 16 July 2026 at 14:30
Jonas Vingegaard is racing the Tour de France without Grischa Niermann for the first time in almost a decade as Team Visma | Lease a Bike begin an accelerated transition at the top of their sporting operation.
Niermann helped mastermind the tactics behind Vingegaard’s victories in 2022 and 2023 alongside Merijn Zeeman, but has been moved into a largely behind-the-scenes role ahead of his switch to Lidl-Trek.
His absence from the Tour has been particularly significant for Matteo Jorgenson, who worked alongside Niermann at almost every race during his first three seasons with Visma.
“Grischa and I have done almost every race together over the past three seasons,” Jorgenson told WielerFlits. “I was really closest to him.”
Vingegaard tackles Tour without Niermann
Niermann has been part of the Visma structure since joining the Rabobank Development Team as a sports director following his retirement in 2012.
He moved into the WorldTour operation in 2017 and became one of its most influential tactical figures. His partnership with Zeeman helped transform Visma into the team capable of ending Pogacar’s Tour dominance.
The 2022 race provided their defining tactical victory. Visma repeatedly isolated Pogacar before attacking him with Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic on the Col du Granon, while the Dane successfully defended his title the following year.
Marc Reef is leading Visma’s sporting operation at the 2026 Tour, although Niermann remains under contract and available remotely. “He is still contributing remotely,” Visma chief executive Richard Plugge told WielerFlits. “He remains available for discussions. He is also still involved in some planning matters and has continued working from the team car at other races.”
Vingegaard remained second overall after Stage 11, trailing Pogacar by 3:36 after suffering decisive time losses on the Tourmalet and the road to Le Lioran.
Richard Plugge during the 2026 Tour de France
Reef brings new energy to Visma
Reef was selected internally to succeed Niermann as Head of Racing and had already led Visma’s sporting operation at the Giro d’Italia before taking control at the Tour.
His formal promotion begins on 1 September, although the practical handover was brought forward once Niermann’s departure became known.
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Jorgenson has welcomed the different approach introduced by Visma’s incoming Head of Racing. “Marc brings new energy and new ideas,” Jorgenson said. “Marc is a very good sports director. I have already won Paris-Nice with him, so I have good memories of working together. We are now building our relationship. So far, I am really happy with him.”
Niermann remains contracted to Visma until 1 September, when Reef will formally become Head of Racing and the German will begin his new role as Chief Sporting Officer at Lidl-Trek.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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