Niklas Behrens out for months due to heart arrhythmias

Former U23 world champion Niklas Behrens of Visma | Lease a Bike will undergo an ablation procedure at the end of March. This is a minor operation to eliminate heart rhythm disorders, enabling the 22-year-old German to perform at his best again. As a result of the procedure, Behrens will not compete in any races over the coming months.

In a press release, the Dutch team emphasizes that his focus is on a full recovery, with a view to returning to training and competition later this season. “It is a routine treatment that is successfully performed on active athletes,” they state.

Behrens remains positive: “I am very grateful to the team and medical staff for their guidance and support over the past days and weeks. This is a tough climb at the moment, but I will tackle my recovery with the same focus I bring to every race.”

“Although it’s hard not to be racing and to not be able to support my teammates, I am fully committed to the process so that I can come back even stronger,” the German concludes. “I can’t wait to be back in the peloton, to pin on a race number again, and show the team what I can do.”

Behrens was already sidelined. In mid-February, he had to leave the team’s training camp due to a crash. For this reason, he has not raced in 2025 yet. Last year, during his first season with the team, he was unable to make an impact. In 2024, Behrens was crowned U23 world champion.