Cycling teams 2026: Visma | Lease a Bike targets two major goals in 2026
As the 2026 cycling season gets underway, WielerFlits takes a closer look at the key teams in the peloton. In the series Cycling Teams 2026, we introduce these squads based on transfers, rosters, and objectives. Today, it's Visma | Lease a Bike’s turn. What can we expect from Wout van Aert, Jonas Vingegaard, and Matthew Brennan?
Review of 2025
Team Visma | Lease a Bike will look back on a solid 2025. No, Jonas Vingegaard didn’t win the Tour de France. And Wout van Aert didn’t claim a monument victory either. But as a team, it’s hard to be dissatisfied when you win the Giro d'Italia with Simon Yates, finish second in the Tour de France with Jonas Vingegaard, and later take the Vuelta a España crown with the Dane.
Wout van Aert’s stage wins in the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France had an extra special shine, while Olav Kooij notched two victories in the Giro d'Italia and Matteo Jorgenson once again secured the overall win at Paris-Nice.
Transfers
Visma | Lease a Bike had a busy winter in the transfer market. A total of nine riders left, while nine new riders joined. On paper, the team takes a step back with the departures of Olav Kooij, Tiesj Benoot, and Cian Uijtdebroeks, but with Bruno Armirail, Davide Piganzoli, and Filippo Fiorelli, the squad tried to reinforce itself smartly.
Ambitions
Win the Giro d'Italia with Jonas Vingegaard
Win the Tour de France with Jonas Vingegaard
Win a monument with Wout van Aert or Matthew Brennan
Score stage wins in the Vuelta a España with Wout van Aert and Matthew Brennan
Find success in the Ardennes Classics with Matteo Jorgenson
Our Expectations
Youri IJnsen (WielerFlits reporter): "Normally, Jonas Vingegaard should always win the Giro d’Italia. Strategically smart, because if you lose again to Tadej Pogacar in the Tour de France, you still have a major prize with the Giro. For Wout van Aert, I hope his ankle injury doesn’t cause him too much delay. We know this is brutal. He’s already fallen behind Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogacar, and Mads Pedersen (although he is out with an injury for now), so I don’t expect different dynamics in the spring classics immediately. It’s great they’re now targeting all the monuments, but in my view, Matteo Jorgenson is not a winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège and/or the Giro di Lombardia. Not in this era."
"The team’s disappointment is a tricky one. No one has really stepped up yet. Personally, I don’t think Bruno Armirail fits his role within this team, due to his poor English and attacking mindset. The revelation of the team will be Axel Zingle. A very smart rider, technically skilled, and with a strong sprint. He could well win the Amstel Gold Race. As best newcomer, I pick Davide Piganzoli. He’s quietly become a very good rider with plenty of potential, especially considering the (small, (with all due respect)) team he’s coming from. Meanwhile, he’s already ranked fairly high in the various Cyclingflash rankings. Keep an eye on him."
"Most wins here is a no-brainer. That will be Matthew Brennan. Maybe not yet a team leader on paper, but definitely after this year. A developmental talent who reminds me of Peter Sagan in his early years, although Brennan climbs even better. He’s also the bright spot, because with the best will in the world, I don’t see Visma | Lease a Bike making any progress again. In 2023, they were still the standard in the peloton. It wouldn’t surprise me if not only Lidl-Trek overtakes them this year, but also Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe and Decathlon CMA CGM. The problem is there isn’t much room for 2027 either, so they’ll need to start planning for 2028."
