Two world champions in 24 hours - Visma bet on the future as current budget fails to challenge UAE
CyclingSaturday, 26 September 2026 at 18:38
Team Visma | Lease a Bike have dominated pro cycling this decade, and in 2023 went as far as winning all three Grand Tours with different riders. The team can no longer match UAE Team Emirates - XRG on the road and budget-wise, but it has gotten very bright news regarding its future as two of its riders won world titles in the space of 24 hours.
This Thursday evening, around 18:40 Central European time, Viktoria Chladonová of Slovakia won the under-23 women's road race world title in Montréal, Canada. Just 24 hours later, USA's Ashlin Barry won the men's under-23 road race. Within the space of one day, Team Visma | Lease a Bike's value for the future has grown substantially, as two rainbow jerseys have entered its team.
Visma reached its best level in 2023 with total Grand Tour domination, and although Jonas Vingegaard and Wout Van Aert have continued winning Grand Tours and even a momument this year, the Dutch team's overall level over the past two and half seasons has not been similar to that of UAE Team Emirates - XRG.
At the same time, budget limitations have seen other rising teams occasionally match or even surpass Visma, such as Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe and Lidl-Trek who now hold yearly budgets that are reported to be higher.
Ashlin Barry at the 2026 World Championships
Visma continue winning, but stagnate
Winning at the level of 2023 is not expected of Visma, the same way that no other team can realistically achieve it at the start of the year in modern cycling. However in 2024, the Dutch team did not manage to win any of the Grand Tours, and the same happened regarding monuments. In 2025 Jonas Vingegaard won the Vuelta a España, but simultaneously saw himself understand that the level required to beat Tadej Pogacar at the Tour de France no longer looked to be within reach.
Whilst Wout Van Aert took some meaningful wins, his ability to win a monument in 2025 seemed to fade as the overall level grew. In 2026, the Dutch team hit a new high point, with Jonas Vingegaard winning the Giro d'Italia and Wout Van Aert winning Paris-Roubaix. The team looked to be back on track; but both ended up injured in the summer and the team lacked the result it hoped for at the Tour.
The Vuelta a España saw the team thrive with Matthew Brennan and Wout Van Aert in pursuit of stage wins, but the Dutch team's impressive performances did not spread to the mountains - although Sepp Kuss' Granada raid did propel him into the Top5. A season of ups and downs, but with the retirement of Simon Yates early in the year and the difficulty to replace him - even this winter, there is no guarantee that the momentum will be kept.
Whilst Lidl-Trek, Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, Decathlon CMA CGM Team and even Pinarello - Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team conduct high-level signings on a regular basis and develop their own supertalents, Visma is finding itself in a complicated position. It holds leverage in the market, but not the financial resources.
Whilst successful, Davide Piganzoli was the highest-profile signing of the 2025-2026 winter and, as of the time of publishing, the team hasn't announced any signing since the beginning of the transfer market on the 1st of August. One of its expected bets, Giro stage winner Davide Ballerini, has seemingly switched gears and is joining Pinarello instead. The loss of a quality rider to a second-division team perfectly displays the team's inability to conduct massive market moves in the way it did in the early 2020's.
But a new wave of hope and talent emerges...
Chladonová brings women's team a brand new hope
In the women's team, the team reached 2023-level highs in 2025. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot joined the women's project after years away from the road peloton full-time. A better outcome couldn't have been expected, with a victory at the mythical Paris-Roubaix Femmes; and the conquering of the Tour de France Femmes.
The Frenchwoman achieved two career dreams. But what followed? 2026 was not the veteran's year, ending prematurely and without a single win to her name. Whilst podium results at the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix Femmes assured she was still at her prime, by the time summer came she simply did not have the level to contest the Tour de France Femmes. By the time she abandoned, hours after the Mont Ventoux summit finish, she was not part of the Top10.
Not back to square one, but the team needed news of a good future. Hence comes in Chladonová. Slovakia are a small central European nation, who will race the men's elite event with one of its soigneurs. Yet, in the women's unnder-23 road race, Chladonová was able to beat Tour and Giro Top10 finisher Isabella Holmgren.
The 19-year old was a talented rider without a doubt, but at a younger age and at a lower level throughout 2026, very few would've put her in the position she went on to land on at the end of the World Championships.
Visma's women's team still have veterans Ferrand-Prévot and Marianne Vos in their roster, both riders with unmatchable palmarès and names, but also of an advanced age. In need of a new young face, Chladonová could prove to be the team's new big bet.
Viktória Chladonová won the 2026 World Championships women's under-23 road race
After Matthew Brennan, Visma strike gold once again
Visma's bet currently is in its youngsters, not the riders their now-modest budget (when comparing to rival top teams) can afford to sign. In the men's team, they struck gold with Matthew Brennan, recent five-stage winner at the Vuelta a España, his Grand Tour debut.
The Briton, a top sprinter with a notable ability to climb with the best, is a very solid bet for a future that may see Grand Tours lose some of its priority within the team. But the team now has another young prospect whom they can build around.
Ashlin Barry achieved what Chladonová did the day before, on the day he turned 19. Signed into the team's development program this year, he already has a contract all the way into 2029. Judging by his current level, a promotion to the World Tour structure is predicted to an earlier year.
Barry is not the traditional climber, or sprinter... In fact Barry is an all-rounder, and someone whose limit is still unknown. Standing at 1.92 meters of height and almost 80Kg, he is widely regarded as a classics specialist and time trialist, with the absolute power required to perform in the races without large climbs.
But what he's done in Montréal has surpassed every expectation. The new rainbow jersey was in the breakaway of the day and after over 100 kilometers at the head of the race, not only did he survive the attacks from the likes of proven World Tour figures such as Héctor Alvaréz and Aubin Sparfel; he increased his gap towards the final laps of the race.
Barry's feat of endurance appeared to be illogical. A heavyweight, he won a race where climbers and some classics specialists would perform the best, using a mix of climbing ability, solo racing ability and endurance. Physically reminiscent of compatriot and semi-teammate Matteo Jorgenson, Barry's talent is undeniable but his specialization remains an open path.
With the victory of both Chladonová and Barry, Visma are growing a new generation of winners at under-23 level riders who might take over both men's and women's team in their future. The future looks brighter than two years ago in a meaningful way.
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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- Couldn’t agree more!anonymouscyclist26-09-2026
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- YES DEMI!!! You legend! Amazing win! What. A. Race. Could not look away. What a season for Demi. Finally able to call herself champion of the world, and it’s so deserved. This jersey could not go to a better role model for young women in our sport.anonymouscyclist26-09-2026
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