"Strade Bianche is my favourite race” - After pair of top-5 finishes, Attila Valter aiming to crack podium for Team Visma | Lease a Bike

Although Team Visma | Lease a Bike head to the 2024 Strade Bianche with an all-star lineup including the likes of Sepp Kuss and Christophe Laporte, their best chance of victory could come through Attila Valter.

"Attila will indeed be our leader,” sports director Arthur van Dongen says in conversation with Team Visma | Lease a Bike's official website. "He has more than earned that status, not least because of his results in the Strade Bianche. We will start with a strong team, including Christophe Laporte and Sepp Kuss. Sepp recently showed that he is at home on the gravel of Jaén. He will be in good form and full of confidence. A podium would be fantastic, but we would also be happy to match Attila's result from last year.”

For Valter, the chance to lead Team Visma | Lease a Bike at such a renowned race as Strade Bianche is an incredibly exciting opportunity. "It is an honour to be the leader," he says proudly. "I can hardly believe that men like Christophe and Sepp, not to mention the gravel riders, will be working for me. It feels uncomfortable, but it also gives me a lot of strength. I hope to repay the team's trust with a good result.”

"Strade Bianche is my favourite race”, Valter adds. "I come from mountain biking. I love racing on dirt roads. I also love the Tuscan countryside. It is one of the most spectacular races of the year. This will be my third participation. The first two went well, with two top-five finishes.”

The Hungarian realises however, victory will be difficult. "This year's Strade will be even longer and more demanding than last year's. But this is to my advantage. I like tough and challenging races. This is my first one-day race of the season. I surprised myself by finishing fifth in the UAE Tour. That gives me a lot of satisfaction and motivation," he says. "With Tadej Pogacar and Thomas Pidcock, among others, the field is very strong. We hope to match or even improve on last year's result. Personal development is my biggest goal in cycling. It would be great to finish close to the podium."

Team Visma | Lease a Bike for Strade Bianche:

Attila Valter, Sepp Kuss, Christophe Laporte, Ben Tulett, Bart Lemmen, Milan Vader & Julien Vermote.