Wout van Aert in the lead; Jorgenson's debut and Kooij to sprint - Visma reveal Opening Weekend lineups
Cycling
Team Visma | Lease a Bike are ready to tackle Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne. With two lineups packed with quality classics riders and sprinters, they can very realistically win one of the two Belgian classics.
The team is missing Dylan van Baarle who got an injury in January; Christophe Laporte who had been ill and the injured Niklas Behrens. Lots of plan changes right from early on, but nevertheless the Dutch team arrives at both cobbled classics with an enviable lineup and well capable of fighting for victory.
For Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, surely most of the cards will be played on Wout van Aert and Matteo Jorgenson in the finale at the Muur-Bosberg combination. Tiesj Benoot, Victor Campenaerts and Edoardo Affini will be suporting and will also race the Belgian race.
Per Strand Hagenes and Matthew Brennan complete the lineup, but in Kuurne Olav Kooij will come in as a sprint option for the race - with Loe van Belle replacing Matthew Brennan.
"Our goal is to win a race", team DS Grischa Niermann said in a press release. "Despite the necessary changes we have had to make in the lineup, we have a very strong team for both days. We have prepared well and are motivated to get a nice result."
"Wout showed in the time trial of the Volta ao Algarve that he is in good shape. Nevertheless, we should not yet expect him to be in absolute top form this weekend. His peak is in late March, early April, when the monuments are on the programme. The Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne are two nice benchmarks."
Team Visma for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad:
Wout van Aert
Tiesj Benoot
Victor Campenaerts
Edoardo Affini
Matteo Jorgenson
Per Strand Hagenes
Matthew Brennan
Tiesj Benoot
Victor Campenaerts
Edoardo Affini
Matteo Jorgenson
Per Strand Hagenes
Matthew Brennan
Team Visma for Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne:
Wout van Aert
Tiesj Benoot
Victor Campenaerts
Edoardo Affini
Olav Kooij
Loe van Belle
Matteo Jorgenson
Tiesj Benoot
Victor Campenaerts
Edoardo Affini
Olav Kooij
Loe van Belle
Matteo Jorgenson
Read also
🇧🇪 #OHN25 & #KBK25
— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) February 27, 2025
Time to kick off the classic season! 🤩
These are our guys in black & yellow this weekend at @OmloopHNB and @KuurneBxlKuurne 🐝👇 pic.twitter.com/QSd4Vwlvg1
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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MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
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