OFFICIAL: Visma confirm Paris-Roubaix lineup as Wout van Aert’s disrupted bid for cobbled glory takes shape
Cycling
Team Visma | Lease a Bike have confirmed their lineup for Paris-Roubaix 2026, with Wout van Aert set to lead the team into Sunday’s Hell of the North.
Alongside the Belgian, Visma will field Christophe Laporte, Edoardo Affini, Matthew Brennan, Pietro Mattio, Per Strand Hagenes and Owain Doull.
For Van Aert, it represents another opportunity to target one of the biggest missing victories of his career. But this year’s build-up has been shaped by disruption as much as preparation.
A Roubaix plan disrupted at the last moment
Paris-Roubaix is a race where marginal gains often decide everything. Across more than 50 kilometres of cobbles, equipment choices can be just as decisive as strength. That is what makes the UCI’s late decision to ban Visma’s tyre pressure system so significant.
The system had been designed to adapt to the constantly changing demands of Roubaix, allowing riders to manage pressure between smoother roads and the brutal pavé sectors.
Its removal, just days before the race, forces a last-minute adjustment in a race where preparation is everything. For Van Aert, chasing a first Roubaix victory in an era dominated by Mathieu van der Poel, that shift cannot be ignored.
A team built for control and depth
Even without that tool, Visma arrive with a lineup built around depth and flexibility. Laporte remains one of the most reliable Classics riders in the peloton, while Affini brings the power required for the long exposed sectors that define Roubaix. Hagenes continues to develop as a cobbled rider, and Brennan adds another option in a race where numbers can be decisive.
Mattio and Doull further strengthen the group, offering support across a race that rarely follows a predictable script.
Roubaix is not a race that can be controlled by one rider alone. It is often shaped by which team can place multiple riders in the right position at the right time.
Van Aert against the defining rivalry
The challenge, however, remains the same. Van der Poel returns as three-time defending champion, chasing a fourth consecutive victory on terrain that has consistently rewarded him. Pogacar arrives after back-to-back Monument wins and a near victory in Roubaix on debut last year.
For Van Aert, that means navigating not just the race itself, but the strongest rivals of his generation.
A disrupted shot at Roubaix glory
For Van Aert, the equation this Sunday is slightly different to previous attempts. The strength of the team remains. The ambition is unchanged. But one of the tools designed to help manage the unique demands of Roubaix has been taken away at the last moment.
In a race where details matter as much as strength, that shift adds another layer to an already finely balanced contest.
And for a rider still chasing his first victory on the cobbles of Roubaix, it is one more variable he will have to overcome.
Team Visma | Lease a Bike for Paris-Roubaix 2026
| Rider |
| Wout van Aert |
| Christophe Laporte |
| Edoardo Affini |
| Matthew Brennan |
| Pietro Mattio |
| Per Strand Hagenes |
| Owain Doull |
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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