""I'm extremely proud of the team" - Team Visma | Lease a Bike find reason to smile despite more crashes at Tour Down Under
Cycling
The 2025 Tour Down Under concluded earlier today, with Sam
Welsford sprinting to victory in the sixth and final stage, while Jhonatan
Narvaez secured the overall classification, marking a strong start to the
cycling season.
For Team Visma | Lease a Bike, their first outing of the
season brought mixed fortunes. Despite losing both Dylan van Baarle and Loe van
Belle to crashes earlier in the race, the team showcased its depth and talent,
with notable performances from sprinter Matthew Brennan and GC rider Thomas
Gloag.
Thomas Gloag finished eighth in the general classification,
proving his growing consistency and potential as a GC contender. Reflecting on
his performance, Gloag shared, “I'm pleased with how this week went. I've had a
great time with the team and again showed myself at the highest level. I
expected to do well in Australia, but achieving it would be fantastic. Now my
focus is on the upcoming races, which I'm excited for."
Team manager Addy Engels expressed his pride in Gloag and
the rest of the squad. "I'm extremely proud of the team. Matthew showed
himself well and was in a good position again today," Engels said in a
team press release.
The Tour Down Under also marked a significant milestone for
three riders—Matthew Brennan, Tijmen Graat, and Menno Huising—who made their
WorldTour debuts. Robbert de Groot, head of development at Visma | Lease a
Bike, praised their performances and highlighted the team’s commitment to
nurturing talent.
"They're all very different types of riders, as is Loe
van Belle, another graduate of our Development Team. Each rider has unique
qualities and a different development path, but we've been able to provide
tailored support and help them grow. That's something we're very proud
of, especially on a day like today," De Groot said.
De Groot further emphasised the importance of their
development programme. "We've worked hard to see Matthew Brennan, Tijmen
Graat, and Menno Huising make their WorldTour debuts and perform so well. It's
a testament to our ability to scout the right talent and help them progress to
the next level in their careers," he added.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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- There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
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