“This also demonstrates Visma's drive” – How Visma’s innovation fuels Jonas Vingegaard’s Vuelta a Espana campaign

For seven years, Visma has been closely linked to the Dutch cycling project led by Richard Plugge, moving from victory to victory and growing alongside the team. Though the Norwegian IT company has been the main sponsor of Team Visma | Lease a Bike for only two years, its influence goes well beyond financial support. As Jet Bouwman explained in an interview with Wielerflits, the partnership is built on shared values and mutual improvement rather than a conventional sponsor-team relationship.

“Innovation is central to Visma. The same naturally applies to Team Visma | Lease a Bike. We try to support the teams with technological innovations and data analytics, among other things, so they can focus on what they do best: winning races. We don't see this as a traditional sponsorship, but much more as a partnership where you support each other and help each other improve. And winning together is in both of our DNA.”

That philosophy has shaped how Visma and the cycling team work together. Bouwman added: “That's truly the perfect match for our company. Richard Plugge and our CEO, Merete Hverven, found common ground from the start. Because how are we going to ensure the team can focus on winning races, and what does the team need from us? Visma is at the forefront of technological innovation, while the team is incredibly data-driven. As a software company, we can find them in that. Together with the team, we're constantly exploring how we can optimally support them through technological innovations. That's a great collaboration.”

The partnership has also helped Visma itself grow as a brand. “You can see that the Visma brand has matured significantly through the partnership with the cycling team, particularly in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. We also grew significantly during that period and entered new markets.

"The recognition generated by the cycling team has had a catalysing effect on this. In the early years, certainly in the Netherlands and Belgium, but we're now also seeing the impact of Pauline Ferrand-Prévot's success in the Tour de France Femmes in France. Now it's important that we properly brand the Visma brand, so that people understand who Visma is and the value we can add.”

Bouwman also outlined exactly what Visma does, a point often overlooked in cycling’s sponsorship-heavy world. “Visma is a federation of companies that develop software. We create business software for both entrepreneurs and accountants, for medium-sized and large companies. We also operate extensively in the public sector. Visma has acquired nearly 200 software companies in the past five years that create business-critical software.”

That breadth of expertise aligns perfectly with the team’s appetite for improvement, particularly when it comes to data and performance. “With the right people, the right technology, and the right momentum, you can go further and faster. The team wants to be the best, Visma wants to be the best. Winning together unites us.”

And the innovation continues. Bouwman revealed that new projects are already in development: “We're constantly exploring new development opportunities with the team. How can we support them? What's the need? Next year, we hope to introduce a new innovation that will support the team. The project is still in its infancy, so I can't share anything concrete about it yet. What we can say is that we strive to be at the forefront, together with the team. This demonstrates Visma's drive and innovative strength.”

As cycling becomes increasingly data-driven, partnerships like this one demonstrate how technology and sport can push each other forward. For Visma, it is more than visibility on a jersey; it is about proving their philosophy in the most competitive of arenas: “Next year, we hope to introduce new technological support for the team. It's still in its infancy, so we can't share anything specific yet. But we always hope to be at the forefront of developments with the team. This also demonstrates Visma's drive.”