Team Visma | Lease a Bike, tactic wise, have been able to control the Vuelta a Espana thus far but luck wise, they have not had the best luck with the health of their riders. Right on the opening days of the race the team lost Axel Zingle who was injured in a mass crash. Entering the final week of the race, the Dutch team will have to go on without Victor Campenaerts.
The Belgian was a key right-hand man for Jonas Vingegaard at the Tour de France, supporting him on the flat and hilly stages and also displaying a climbing level that he has never had before. After the end of the Tour, he volunteered to also race the Vuelta, hoping to play a role in the team's overall victory.
If the Dane is able to bring it home, Campenaerts will have played a role, however he will not make it to Madrid. Over the rest day the 33-year developed an illness and will not continue the race, with the team confirming his departure.
“I am very disappointed not to be able to help Jonas bring the red jersey to Madrid. Before I fell ill, I was feeling really good and was able to do my job for the team. I’ll be cheering for Jonas and the guys from home.”
Minus one against UAE
Campenaerts' departure from the Visma lineup provides Visma with a new challenge, which is the clear numerical inferiority against UAE at this point in time. Although Zingle and Campenaerts are not the men that would be supporting the red jersey up the high mountains, it leaves the team depleted of important resources to control the race, prevent UAE from having riders in breakaways, and limit the team's tactical options as well.
Campenaerts was in the breakaway on stages 12 and 14, and had the clear role in some days of being in the head of the race to provide a potential launchpad for an attack or defense of Jonas Vingegaard's jersey in late points of the race - whilst simultaneously, his presence on the breakaway in those days aided in Visma not being attacked early on.
Campenaerts has been close to Vingegaard throughout the entire Vuelta a España. @Sirotti
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Unfortunately, Victor Campenaerts will not start stage 16 of La Vuelta today after falling ill. Following consultation with the medical team, it was decided that he is not fit to race.
— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) September 9, 2025
Victor Campenaerts: “I am very disappointed not to be able to help Jonas bring the red jersey… pic.twitter.com/iyqK07NeSV
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.
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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)...
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- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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