"The team is gigantically professional on every level" - Bart Lemmen blown away by Team Visma | Lease a Bike as he prepares to make debut at Tour Down Under

The 2024 season is almost here. For Team Visma | Lease a Bike, things will get underway at the Tour Down Under in Australia and for one of their number, Bart Lemmen an exciting debut approaches.

"I really like the first few months. Everyone is nice, and the team is gigantically professional on every level," says the 28-year-old, who has never before ridden at World Tour level, in conversation with the team's official website. "That suits me very well and gives me confidence for the future. In addition, I immediately felt welcome and really part of the team."

"I have neatly completed all the training sessions, and we have been working more and more intensively," Lemmen continues. "In Spain, I then made another nice step and connected all the dots. Last year I still had to work during this period; now I have had more time to train, and the training forms are different. I really like all this."

Just a couple of years ago, Lemmen was still an officer in the Air Force. Now, he's set to ride for the team that made history in 2023, winning all three Grand Tours. "During the stages, I will try to assist Milan Vader as much as possible in his classification ambitions, and my personal goals lie there too. I hope to be of value to Milan by supporting him well into the final. Apart from that, I'm also just really happy to make my debut for the team."