“We realised: we are going to win this Giro” – Visma riders give behind the scenes view to Simon Yates’ Giro d’Italia victory

Last weekend, the streets of Rome bore witness to a dream realised: Simon Yates claimed overall victory at the 2025 Giro d’Italia, delivering Team Visma | Lease a Bike its eighth Grand Tour win, and one of its most emotional yet.

Yates’ performance across the three-week race culminated in a poetic redemption on the climb that has shadowed over his career. His victory was secured on the fearsome slopes of the Colle delle Finestre, where he gained over five minutes on closest rivals Isaac Del Toro and Richard Carapaz. For Yates, the moment was symbolic, seven years earlier, it was on this very climb that he lost the Giro lead in devastating fashion to Chris Froome.

Speaking in a team press release, teammate Wilco Kelderman, himself a veteran of 18 Grand Tours, ranked this success among the most meaningful of his career. “I’ve experienced a lot in my career, but this Giro was unique,” the 34-year-old Dutchman said. “In 2023, I won the Tour de France with Jonas Vingegaard and the Vuelta a España with Sepp Kuss, but I hold this Giro in very high regard. The atmosphere within the team was excellent. Everyone stayed extremely focused for three weeks, and we reaped the rewards of that.”

For Bart Lemmen, still in only his second year as a professional, the experience was almost surreal. “Four years ago, turning professional still seemed like a distant dream,” he reflected. “It’s special now to be able to say I’m part of a team that won a Grand Tour. That it happened in my second professional year feels surreal.”

One moment in particular stands out for the 29-year-old Dutchman: the fifteenth stage over Monte Grappa. “That stage stayed with me. I rode at the front all day, and I felt it was my best race ever. In that stage, I was still able to do useful work in the finale to keep some of Simon’s rivals at a distance. That was thrilling.”

The emotional centrepiece of the Giro came on the Colle delle Finestre. It was there that Yates struck decisively, turning a fragile lead into an unassailable margin. “I will never forget the climb of the Finestre,” said Kelderman. “I was riding near Bart when we heard that Simon had a five-minute lead over his rivals for the overall win. We realised: we are going to win this Giro.”

Lemmen recalled the chaos and beauty of that moment. “It was a special moment. You hear snippets through your earpieces, but in the high mountains, communication with the team car and teammates often drops out. The real info came through the shouting fans along the roadside. ‘Simon has five minutes!’ they yelled. That feeling was unforgettable.”

By the time the peloton rolled into Rome, Visma were on top of the world. “It’s hard to put into words how it felt to ride through the streets of Rome,” Lemmen said. “Our pink outfits, Simon’s pink bike, the fantastic surroundings... everything was perfect. I look back on our achievement with great pride.”