Top Visma rider's agent explains departure in search of freedom - "Top talent and a key rider for the Grand Tours in the coming years"

The signing of Johannes Staune-Mittet to Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale is one of the most surprising moves of this winter, taking into consideration the potential of the Norwegian but mainly the fact that his contract was broken in order to change teams. His agent Bart van Haaren has revealed the team did not create obstacles for the move and that it could not offer what Staune-Mitter wanted.

The Dutch team had full right to keep the 22-year old on board, but it did not want to force the rider against his will, and there was openness towards allowing him to seek better chances elsewhere. "This move is not out of dissatisfaction, just one with a heavy heart. But he sees that this transition is best for his career now," van Haaren told Wielerflits. 

"It is extraordinary that Visma | Lease a Bike is cooperating with this. They could also have thought 'this is a top rider and is still with us for a few years for a relatively low salary'. But Merijn [Zeeman] and Richard Plugge have been very honest about what they could and could not offer. Both athletically and financially. We appreciate that enormously, and I think that is also positive. They will not easily say that about themselves, which is why it is good to mention that".

Visma is a team which is highly desired by top and young riders alike due to their efficient way of structuring the team and racing. Some riders even joined on a lower salary then they had in previous teams. For Staune-Mittet, who was fruit of the team's development program, it felt like a golden opportunity to evolve next to the likes as Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic for example, whilst having the same infrastructure.

But being part of a top team also demands a lot of the riders, specially those who are not riders that immediately become world-class riders after turning pro. The Norwegian was the winner of the under-23 Giro d'Italia in 2023 and turned pro this year, but he did not have the opportunities he hoped for:

"Johannes hasn't completed a Grand Tour to date. A Grand Tour is exciting if you are not the most explosive rider but must rely on long endurance efforts. Only at Visma | Lease a Bike do they ride every Grand Tour for the overall victory." This last statement can be contested, but it can't be ignored that the competition just to fill the spots in the three-week races is extremely demanding, and it does not always benefit young riders who have to prove themselves against experienced and seasoned domestiques.

The team gave freedom, and he signed a three-year deal with Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale who give him a higher salary and a clear desire of developing him into a Grand Tour contender for the years to come. "Johannes is going to make a step forward athletically. There is also a huge financial upgrade that Visma | Lease a Bike could not offer either. Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale is happy because they are bringing in top talent and a key rider for the Grand Tours in the coming years."

There is a schedule in place and a lot of ambition with this surprising transfer, one which may bring big fruits to the French team. "His whole program and the division of roles is already known to him for all those seasons. This includes, for example, which Grand Tour he will ride next year, but also which races he will gradually become a leader. Of course, this is an exciting choice. But one that gives Johannes more freedom to do what he does well," he concluded.