Visma | Lease a Bike DS points out one of the team's biggest weaknesses: "We miss a rider like Nathan Van Hooydonck - he mastered positioning perfectly"
Cycling
Team Visma | Lease a Bike was far off its former glory during the Opening weekend. While we have seen more than enough of the yellow jerseys, it was mostly at the back, desperately trying to catch up. All in all, it's not yet the end of the world, but can they bounce back soon enough for the main Classics block with Flanders and Roubaix?
Grischa Niermann also sees that Team Visma | Lease a Bike is struggling to keep up with the competition in some areas. "In recent years we were a bit better as a block," the sports director told Het Nieuwsblad.,
Second place of Olav Kooij at Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne and 11th for Wout Van Aert at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is certainly not the worst outcome possible, however only victories count at Visma | Lease a Bike.
"We can honestly say that we were less dominant this opening weekend than in previous years." That is partly because leaders Van Aert and Kooij simply did not have the legs during the weekend, but Niermann notices that also something else is amiss.
The German calls positioning perhaps the biggest problem. "Normally we are very good at that, but the past two days it didn't work out well. I don't necessarily blame the guys. From the car it is very easy to say 'front, front, front'. But I also know that my 23 colleagues say the same thing at that moment. The fact is that we of course miss Nathan Van Hooydonck. He mastered positioning perfectly."
The Belgian ex-pro was a keystone of Visma | Lease a Bike's "A" team for Classics, as well as important domestique in any stage races. His unplanned retirement at the end of 2023 season due to heart problems threw a spanner into the Dutch team's long-term scheme. Seemingly, he's the one piece of the puzzle Visma was not able to replace just yet to put its Classics team back on the right track.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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