Matisse Van Kerckhove earns pro contract with Visma | Lease a Bike

Matisse Van Kerckhove will join the Visma | Lease a Bike WorldTeam starting in 2027. The 19-year-old Belgian signed a contract for two seasons. Van Kerckhove becomes the fifteenth rider to make the step from Team Visma | Lease a Bike Development to the WorldTeam.

The talented Van Kerckhove joined Visma | Lease a Bike’s development squad in 2025. With second places in the prologues of the Giro Next Gen and the Istrian Spring Trophy, as well as silver medals at the European and Belgian Championships, he immediately showcased his time trial abilities. With strong performances in Flèche Ardennaise, Giro del Belvedere, and Gent-Wevelgem U23, Van Kerckhove also proved his versatility.

In the Deutschland Tour and Tour of Slovakia, he also demonstrated he can hold his own in races alongside the WorldTeam. “That he will definitively make the step to the WorldTeam in 2027 was actually inevitable,” notes Head of Development Robbert de Groot in a press release. “His time trials and the way he has held up in races at all levels show that he needs to take the next step to continue his development.”

Van Kerckhove (left) took silver at the European Time Trial Championships – photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos

Step by step
This year, Van Kerckhove still has several goals in the U23 category, but he will also regularly ride with the WorldTeam. “I’m hugely motivated and proud to make the step from the Development Team to the WorldTeam. The Matisse from five years ago would never have thought I’d be here today. So I can only be proud of myself. I’m really looking forward to measuring myself at the highest level and continuing to grow.”

“I want to develop into a strong classics rider who can also play an important role in time trials. Someone who is valuable for the team in tough races and time trials, and who learns step by step how to perform consistently at WorldTour level. Visma | Lease a Bike is the ideal environment for me to do that. Last year I experienced how strong the focus is on preparation and development. That way of working suits me perfectly.”