"These two people jumped on the car and also tried to punch us": Visma sports director speaks out after alarming incident at Coppi e Bartali
Cycling
Stage 4 should have been a straightforward day at the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali. Instead, Team Visma | Lease a Bike found themselves at the centre of a deeply unsettling incident in Valdobbiadene, when two men, believed to have been drunk, jumped onto one of the team cars, attempted to steal a bike from the roof rack and behaved aggressively toward the staff inside.
An incident that came out of nowhere
Sports director Robert Wagner was in the first team car and did not witness the moment directly, but his colleague Jan Boven was not so lucky. Blocked in traffic following a crash mid-stage, Boven had nowhere to go when the two individuals approached.
"I was in the first car, so I didn't see this incident. My colleague Jan Boven was in the car and, well, I also just saw more or less the pictures or the video. Obviously, these two people jumped on the car and also tried to punch us in a way. So, no clue why," Wagner said in an interview to Cycling Pro Net.
The attempted theft of a bike from the roof rack was ultimately unsuccessful, and no material damage was recorded. But the human impact was another matter entirely. "Yes, 100% they were shocked. It came out of the blue. My colleague got blocked with the car, so he couldn't move anywhere, and then these two guys were there," Wagner explained.
Mauro Schmid won the last stage and the GC of the Coppi e Bartali 2026
A first for the team - and hopefully the last
The incident was reported to both the race organisation and the police, though Wagner admitted the response had so far been limited. "Nothing so far," he said when asked what authorities had told the team.
When the interviewer drew a parallel with a well-known incident from last year's Vuelta a Espana, Wagner was clear that nothing like this had ever happened to Visma before. "To us, or especially to us, to Jan Boven, it was the first time we had such an incident. And luckily it's not always like this, or actually never like this."
As for whether the attack was planned or simply a random act of aggression, Wagner had little patience for speculation. Asked directly if he thought it was premeditated, his answer was short and sharp: "Maybe ask them."
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Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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