“If this were the Tour, Vingegaard’s helpers would have been off in breakaways” – Brian Holm sees marked difference to Visma’s riding at La Vuelta 2025

After a composed and commanding opening week from Team Visma | Lease a Bike, former pro and Eurosport analyst Brian Holm believes the Dutch squad has undergone a quiet transformation — one that could prove decisive in Jonas Vingegaard’s bid for red at the 2025 Vuelta a Espana.

Holm, speaking on the first rest day, highlighted a shift in how Visma is approaching this race compared to their fraught Tour de France campaign in July. The contrast, he says, is stark — and overdue.

“If this were the Tour, his helpers would have been in the breakaway all the time,” Holm remarked in his analysis for Eurosport. “That’s not what we’re seeing now. Now they’re protecting Vingegaard — constantly. They’re riding 110% for him, and it’s a joy to watch.”

That observation cuts to the heart of what’s changed for Visma: a return to disciplined, collective racing, built around a singular GC objective. Where once lieutenants might have been given leash for stage ambitions, this time they’ve circled the wagons around Vingegaard.

Holm sees that as a deliberate and necessary recalibration — one that’s rooted in Grand Tour fundamentals. “They’ve ridden so sensibly. It’s almost 80s-style, the way they’ve managed the race from behind — calculated, no unnecessary risks,” Holm explained. “It’s conservative, sure, but that’s how you win three-week races. The whole team is on the same page.”

It’s not just about tactics — it’s about discipline and culture. Vingegaard hasn’t found himself isolated once in the crucial mountain tests. Domestiques have remained loyal to the line, setting pace, closing gaps, and keeping the team leader out of trouble. That level of unity was noticeably lacking at the Tour in Holm's opinion, which ultimately ended in defeat.

Holm also pointed to the potential influence of Jesper Morkov, Visma’s Danish sports director for the race, as a subtle but meaningful factor behind the team’s shift in tone. “Whether it’s the team’s decision or down to Morkov, I’ll leave that for them to say. But having a Dane in the car certainly isn’t a disadvantage for Vingegaard,” Holm said. “It gives him 100% backing — and when you’re under pressure every day, that’s massive. Even when things are going well, you’re never far from disaster in a Grand Tour.”

In Holm’s view, this level of structure and support isn’t just helpful — it’s essential. “He’s got teammates around him all the time. They’re not chasing their own results. It’s everything they didn’t do at the Tour.”

Vingegaard’s solo stage win on Stage 9 in the Pyrenees didn’t just lift him up the standings — it changed the mood around the team. Visma no longer look like a group trying to build into the race. They look like a team in control. “That win was so important,” Holm said. “If Ciccone or Almeida had beaten him, we’d be having a very different conversation. That kind of result brings calm — not just for Vingegaard, but for the whole team.”

Now within striking distance of red jersey holder Torstein Træen, Vingegaard finds himself back in familiar territory: the strongest GC contender with the weight of expectation squarely on his shoulders. “He’s such a strong favourite now that he can only lose,” Holm noted. “It’s not an easy position. But he’s living up to it.”

Visma has so far benefitted from rivals like Lidl-Trek doing much of the pacemaking — but Holm doesn’t expect that luxury to last. “From here on, Lidl-Trek will likely stop helping. Visma will have to decide whether they want to take control themselves or let the break go. The tactics will change again.”

He believes Stage 9 may have also shaken the confidence of Vingegaard’s rivals, who tested the Dane on the final climb — and came up short. “They tried to drop him. He passed the test. And I think a few of them lost belief in that moment.”

The key difference between Tour Vingegaard and Vuelta Vingegaard might not be in the legs — but in the team around him. With the road only getting steeper from here, Visma’s discipline, and their ability to ride as one, could be what ultimately carries Vingegaard to Madrid in red. “They’re doing everything right,” Holm concluded. “And that’s how you win a Grand Tour.”