Visma confirm 5 riders for 2025 Tour de France - Can Jonas Vingegaard's domestiques match Pogacar's?
Cycling
Team Visma | Lease a Bike versus UAE Team Emirates - XRG has been a battle for the ages ever since 2021. In the past four editions Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard have finished first and second at the Tour de France, and today the Dutch team have confirmed to bring all of their absolute best men to support Vingegaard in the pursuit of his third title.
At the time being, Pogacar has won three editions of the Tour whilst Vingegaard has two. In direct battles with each other, they are two-for-two and most likely one of them will win a third this upcoming summer as both have unveiled their schedules, fully devoted towards the yellow jersey in Paris.
It is a battle between two titans but not only are they above the rest of the competition, but their teams are also. And today the Dutch team have shown that they mean business when it comes to taking back the title they got in 2022 and 2023.
UAE were quick to announce their general plans for the Grand Tours, and it can be confirmed that Pogacar will be supported by the likes of Adam Yates, João Almeida... Tim Wellens, Jhonatan Narváez, Tim Wellens, Pavel Sivakov and Nils Politt are highly hinted to fill out the rest of the lineup in the French race.
Last summer Visma lacked the firepower to put UAE under serious pressure at the Tour, although partly that was due to the illness that prevented Sepp Kuss from racing or ever being at his best level. Vingegaard could count on a brilliant versatile Matteo Jorgenson and in 2025 he will once again have the American backing him up.
Visma have confirmed Wout van Aert's intentions on returning, to play a pivotal support role whilst likely also having the freedom to chase stage wins on certain days... But two more riders are already geared up towards the Tour and they are Sepp Kuss, winner of the 2023 Vuelta a España, and Simon Yates.
Yates, Visma's star signing this winter, has been confirmed to lead the team at this year's Giro d'Italia but after the Corsa Rosa he will line up at the Tour with a domestique role for Vingegaard. If his evolution is like that of his twin brother Adam who will be on UAE's side on both Grand Tours, then it will be another serious threat for the Emirati team's dominance.
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Today we introduce our 2025 plans in Alicante. ☀️🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/MtgvNfPR9u
— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) January 14, 2025
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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