"I’m not going to sit around waiting" - After Visma departure, Dutch classics specialist looks to become a winner again
Cycling
Loe van Belle has signed a deal with Thijs Zonneveld's BEAT Cycling, which has recently been announced. The Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider aims to be a leader once again, and hopes to return to the sport's top level once again soon.
The Dutch rider has spent the past three seasons at Team Visma | Lease a Bike, but was the only one who did not get his contract renewed from those who continued their careers. Van Belle has been forced to take a step forward.
In this case, a step away from the World Tour, and towards the Thijs Zonneveld-ran BEAT Cycling team, which races at continental level. But Van Belle hopes to race at around the same level, only with different competition.
"I want to compete in ProSeries and UCI 1.1-ranked races in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France; that’s where you can really showcase your abilities," van Belle shared with Wielerflits.
"Drawing on the skills I acquired at Visma | Lease a Bike, I now want to race for my own results," he assures.
"I want to demonstrate that, despite some physically and mentally challenging years, I still belong in the professional ranks. In recent seasons, serving primarily as a domestique, I simply didn't create enough opportunities for myself".
Team Visma | Lease a Bike did not renew Loe van Belle's contract
Visma and Van Belle could not agree on future
The 24-year old had a very promising run as an under-23 rider, but throughout his period at the World Tour structure, he could not find his footing as a stable name in the team's most important appearances.
"I kept trying to convince myself that everything would work out, but that only left me stressed and irritable—which also affected those around me," he admits. A new contract offer did not emerge, and van Belle was forced to look away from Visma.
The Dutch third-division team, host to several riders who have either raced or jumped to World Tour, proved to be a worthy choice.
"Instead, I’ve channeled that stress, hope, and uncertainty into hard work. This winter, I just want to train at full intensity and get the absolute best out of myself".
Van Belle can join the World Tour still, if an offer shows up
Van Belle will join compatriot Jelte Krijnsen, currently a Team Jayco AlUla rider who will be taking the same step. Both have an interesting clause in their contract: They are allowed to join a World Tour team still, if an offer emerges over the next months.
"Of course, it would be fantastic if a professional team were to emerge after all. But I’m not going to sit around waiting for that," the Dutchman added. Instead, he looks to follow in the footsteps of Frits Biesterbos, becoming a leader at BEAT and making the jump into the World Tour once again.
“BEAT Cycling and I have a verbal agreement to that effect. But for now, my full focus is on next season.”
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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