"Right now his Visma team is not strong enough" - Former Tour de France winner argues Jonas Vingegaard should join INEOS

INEOS Grenadiers will soon becoming Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team, as the British team will move on from a new set of sponsors in the upcoming months that will take over the financial share of the petrochemical giant. In this scenario, former Tour de France winner Bjaarne Riis believes Jonas Vingegaard should depart Team Visma | Lease a Bike if he hopes to win the Grand Boucle one again.

The budget within the top teams in the sport continues to grow, first in its ceiling with UAE Team Emirates - XRG surpassing the budget that allowed INEOS to dominate the 2010's; but now also in depth with Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, Lidl-Trek and Decathlon CMA CGM Team having the financial leverage to have some of the very best in the world under contract.

INEOS Grenadiers also does, but over the past years has seen its influence fade. Its financial power was shown in the signing of Oscar Onley this winter however, whose contract buyout from Team Picnic PostNL cost an estimated €5 million.

The British team now sees the entry of Netcompany, a Danish logistics company which is set to supply €20 million over the next five seasons, effectively replacing INEOS' slice of the cake. But it does allow the team to maintain its level and, perhaps with the aid of the departing INEOS - who will continue to hold the team's license - allow for big signings.

1996 Tour de France winner Bjaarne Riis, a compatriot of Jonas Vingegaard, believes that the two could be a good fit. “Right now, it would be a dream team for Jonas," Riis argued in an interview with BT.

"The best team he could possibly join if he wants to challenge Tadej Pogačar. I absolutely see a match. Visma won’t be happy to hear that, but there’s no doubt. This new team has the people, the resources and the experience required".

Part of the argument for Riis is certainly the new environment and a solo leadership. At Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe Remco Evenepoel's signing didn't guarrantee him one, whilst at Decathlon the focus is exclusively on Paul Seixas at the moment.

It could be argued that Lidl-Trek is a better fit taking into consideration it already has a very considerable block of Danish riders such as Mads Pedersen and Mattias Skjelmose. But Riis argues that it is the change that is necessary, above all, as he does not see Visma as strong enough to battle UAE Team Emirates anymore.

“If the team had the same financial muscle that Ineos is now building, they could have challenged Pogačar. But in recent years they have mainly let go of key domestiques who were crucial for Jonas.”

This winter Visma's signings were sub-par against its direct rivals, fruit of its lack of financial leverage over them. The retirement of Simon Yates in early January has further reduced its ability to have an ultra-strong support for Jonas Vingegaard in the mountains of the Tour de France.

Last year, Sepp Kuss once again stepped up to the task and delivered a mighty performance towards the end of both the Tour and Vuelta - and will have that mission in the upcoming Giro d'Italia; Whilst Matteo Jorgenson was also present in both as a constant right-hand man.

Away from the big mountains however the team remains very firm in the support of its leader with the likes of Wout Van Aert and Victor Campenaerts continuing to perform priceless work on the hilly and flat days.

But there is a question to be had on if Visma have enough to even be the main team challenging UAE. In the mountains, it is expected that Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe will be at the Tour with both Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz; Whilst Lidl-Trek is also set to start with Juan Ayuso, Mattias Skjelmose and Giulio Ciccone.

UAE is planned on having Tadej Pogacar and Isaac del Toro both at the start whilst João Almeida's absence at the Giro d'Italia could also open up a path for him to race the Tour de France.

At Visma, Riis does not see a future that is brighter than what he's achieved in the past. “If Jonas has the ambition to win the Tour, this team should attract his attention. That is the level required. I hate to say it, but right now his Visma team is not strong enough".

But will there be interest or even the financial capacity from Netcompany INEOS Cycling Team to make a bid for Vingegaard? If so, it would still be a difficult task to obtain the rider that has marked Visma's decade the most, with two Tour de France wins and, last summer, a Vuelta a España win.

Vingegaard is a rider that looks to be perfectly adapted with the Dutch team's detail-oriented way of working and his performances over recent months continue to place him as the number two rider when it comes to Grand Tours and mountainous stage-races in the peloton, only below someone like Tadej Pogacar.