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"

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.