Team Visma | Lease a Bike bring back key figure from Jonas Vingegaard's Grand Tour glory years as 2027 rebuild continues
Cycling
Team Visma | Lease a Bike have confirmed the return of Addy Engels after just one season away, bringing back a familiar figure from their Grand Tour-winning years as the Dutch squad continue reshaping their sporting leadership ahead of 2027. The experienced race coach returns from Tudor Pro Cycling alongside another new arrival, with Joey van Rhee joining from Picnic PostNL.
Engels spent ten years with Visma between 2016 and 2025, working through the team's emergence as one of cycling's dominant forces and playing a part in an extraordinary period of Grand Tour success for Jonas Vingegaard, Primoz Roglic, Sepp Kuss and Simon Yates. His return, first reported earlier this month, has now been officially confirmed following several high-profile departures from Visma's sporting management.
Engels returns as Visma reshape their Grand Tour leadership
During his first spell at Visma, Engels became a regular presence in the team's Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España operations, experiencing seven overall victories across the two races. His responsibilities extended beyond tactical decisions in the team car, with the Dutchman also heavily involved in the logistical and organisational work behind the team's Grand Tour campaigns.
He was part of the organisation during its historic 2023 season, when Roglic won the Giro, Vingegaard claimed his second Tour de France title and Kuss completed an unprecedented sweep of all three Grand Tours for Visma at the Vuelta.
The sporting leadership behind those successes has since undergone considerable change. Grischa Niermann, who played a central role in Vingegaard's rise, departed for Lidl-Trek earlier this year, with Marc Reef succeeding him as Head of Racing. Former rider Nathan Van Hooydonck has also been appointed to lead the Sport Management Team, taking over responsibilities previously held by Jacco Verhaeren.
Engels, who left for Tudor ahead of 2026 in search of a new challenge, admitted that his long-standing relationships within Visma played an important role in bringing him back after just twelve months.
"What has always appealed to me within the team is the strong trust that exists between people. That was an important reason for me to return," Engels said in Visma's official announcement. "It feels good to return to Team Visma | Lease a Bike. At the same time, it also feels very familiar to be part of this team again. I am very happy that this opportunity came up and that I can return to the team."
Reef, who has himself stepped into a more senior role following Niermann's departure, welcomed the opportunity to work alongside Engels once again. "The connection between Addy and our team has always been special," he said. "Over the years, we have built a strong relationship and he has always fitted perfectly within our way of working."
"With Addy, we bring in a very experienced race coach. He knows our team inside out, is familiar with our culture and way of working, and knows both the staff and the riders well. That knowledge and familiarity are a great added value."
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Visma also recruit from Picnic PostNL ahead of 2027
Engels will not be the only new face in Visma's race coaching group next season, with 33-year-old Joey van Rhee arriving from Picnic PostNL after working as a directeur sportif with the Dutch WorldTour outfit since 2023.
Van Rhee's departure adds to a period of considerable change behind the scenes at Picnic, who have already announced several other staff exits ahead of 2027.
For Visma, his recruitment brings a younger coach into an organisation whose detailed approach to rider preparation has been a defining feature of its success.
"What particularly appeals to me is the scientific way of working within the team," Van Rhee explained. "From performance and training to nutrition, knowledge is brought together in all areas to support the riders as well as possible. I am looking forward to developing myself and to working together with the riders on their growth, helping them step by step to get the best out of themselves, both on and off the bike."
Reef also welcomed Van Rhee's appointment, highlighting the ambition of a coach who is still developing his career. "With Joey, we welcome a young race coach who is ambitious, involved and motivated to grow. His ambition and mindset fit very well with the way we want to work as a team."
The two arrivals will work alongside Visma's existing race coaches as the team prepare for another season with Vingegaard and Wout van Aert among their leading names. Their appointments follow a year in which the Dutch squad have had to replace influential figures throughout their sporting hierarchy, even as Vingegaard added the 2026 Giro d'Italia to his Grand Tour record under Reef's leadership.
Engels returns to a team that has continued winning during his absence but will look considerably different behind the scenes in 2027. The familiar faces he spoke so warmly about may still be there, but the sporting structure around them is entering a new era.
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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