Team Visma | Lease a Bike have been enduring a few difficult months and the situation is becoming difficult financially speaking as well. Whilst the Dutch team does not have the risk of coming to an end, it is finding more issues battling with UAE Team Emirates - XRG or conducting signings such as Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe and Lidl-Trek. Hence, the team is looking for a new title sponsor to join Visma in search of improving their budget forward.
This is a move that isn't fully unexpected, as the entrance of Rabobank as a team sponsor last year once again pointed towards the pursuit for new budget. Visma has joined the team in 2019 and the Dutch team is one of the most secure in the peloton, even having lifetime contracts with Wout van Aert and Marianne Vos for the remainders of their career. However, the team that has dominated the 2023 season has in the past two seasons not been a match to UAE Team Emirates - XRG.
In the past two seasons, the Emirati team hasn't had many luxury signings, but it has done so beforehand, and has a mix of current world-class leaders in most terrains whilst also having many of the world's best talents. The remainder are, in great part, being signed to Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe and Lidl-Trek - both of which had budget increases in recent years which have allowed them to sign countless top riders.
Visma had Simon Yates as a key transfer into 2025, whilst on the women's side Pauline Ferrand-Prévot was also an incredibly successful move. But this winter the Briton has retired; the men's team lost Olav Kooij, Cian Uijtdebroeks and Tiesj Benoot; whilst Fem van Empel also left the team on the men's side. The new signings, although carrying some promise, are no match for the likes of Red Bull who has Remco Evenepoel as its new leader; or Lidl-Trek who's signed amongst others Juan Ayuso and Derek Gee.
According to Wielerflits, there is now an active hunt for a new title sponsor for next season onwards, with the aim of increasing the team's budget and allowing it to begin making big moves in the market once again.
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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