Visma might have chosen its eighth man for the Tour de France - And it's not one of its bright climbers
Cycling
Team Visma | Lease a Bike decided on their Tour de France lineup still in January when the riders' calendars were revealed to the media, but since, Christophe Laporte was forced out of the '8'. Reportedly, the decision is made on his replacement, and it might come as a surprise.
Laporte's injury and the need for a decision
The Dutch team is aiming to win the Grand Boucle, as has happened in previous years this decade. With a Tadej Pogacar and UAE Team Emirates - XRG that show no sign of slowing down, Visma can only be in contention with Jonas Vingegaard if they have their absolute best at the start in Barcelona this July.
Hence, every rider is important. Sepp Kuss and Matteo Jorgenson would be the mountain-specific domestiques; Bruno Armirail and Victor Campenaerts would be key men on the mountains and hilly terrain; Edoardo Affini would be the main motor for the flat stages whilst Wout Van Aert would be a wildcards for different stages, as well as having some of his own opportunities.
Christophe Laporte would then serve the purpose of working on the flat days for Jonas Vingegaard, and potentially leading out Van Aert as well. But in May, the Frenchman suffered a torn quad muscle in a training crash, forcing the team to change its lineup - but not is plans.
Per Strand Hagenes to race 2026 Tour de France
The Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes proved to be a very important week to test the main contenders to replace Laporte. CyclingUpToDate looked into the candidates, in which three names stood out: Ben Tulett, Jorgen Nordhagen and Per Strand Hagenes.
Hagenes and Nordhagen both left the race before the start of stage 7 with illness. Tulett had a mechanical during the TTT which ended his GC run, but was a key support rider for Matteo Jorgenson all throughout.
Having supported Vingegaard at the Vuelta a España last year, Tulett was highly regarded as the likely choice. His climbing performances this year also proved to be worthy of a Tour selection.
On the other hand, Nordhagen's breakthrough also promised. The Norwegian was fourth at the recent Tour de Romandie and was at the doors of the Top10 when he withdrew from Auvergne.
Against all odds, it seems neither Ben Tulett or Jorgen Nordhagen will race the 2026 Tour de France
But Visma did not look at the results on paper, but instead the best candidate to fill Laporte's role. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, the decision has been made to replace the Frenchman with Per Strand Hagenes, who has finally shown his true potential this spring.
The selection may come as a surprise, as the 21-year old has not ridden a Grand Tour before, and experience is key in order to fight for a Tour de France win. But the Norwegian is a similar rider to Laporte and should have the same role.
Hagenes was second to Mathieu van der Poel at the E3 Saxo Classic, in a spring where he had several breakout performances. He also won the Antwerp Port Epic recently, his first win since joining the elite team in 2024 - although he has won several pro races the year before, whilst still part of the development team.
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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Rafionain-Glas06-11-2026 - Thats only cause he rides for UAE. In any other team he would be captain in many races atleast. UAE is just to crazymiguel06-11-2026
- He seems to be the rare athlete whose passion and curiosity about life beyond his sport equals his extraordinary achievements in it. It would be great for him to risk less of that life. He seems very grateful and joyful for what he has already attained.
MarkFour06-11-2026 - As much as I admire and even revere Wout, the less I know about his backside the better.MidnightRider06-11-2026
- Ok, Walt 🤣... Vingegaard would be lucky to get on the poduim. He would not beat Seixas or Del Toro, let alone TP. Then there are the Americans...BD06-11-2026
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