


For many, it came as a bolt from the blue: Simon Yates has torn up his contract with Visma | Lease a Bike and is immediately retiring from racing. The 33-year-old Brit leaves his former team with a huge problem, as he was one of the strategic key figures of the Dutch WorldTeam while the competition was getting stronger. This is shown by our data from Cyclingflash.
With the surprising arrival of Yates last winter, Visma | Lease a Bike managed to replace Primož Roglič, who left a year earlier. The Brit then had a stellar season, which included winning the overall victory at the Giro d'Italia and riding the Tour de France in support of Jonas Vingegaard. Yates himself also secured a win on stage ten at the Tour. In total, the experienced Brit raced only six events for the Dutch squad. Besides the Giro and the Tour, these were Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour of Catalonia in the early season. In the autumn, he registered two DNFs in the Canadian double-header.

According to insiders, Yates had long been having doubts about continuing as a pro cyclist. Now that the decision is final, the Dutch team has lost one of its best riders barely two weeks before the start of the new cycling season. As seen on his Cyclingflash passport above, Yates ranks among the top five climbers and top five GC contenders of the past year. In both categories, only Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, João Almeida, and Roglič rank above him. Matteo Jorgenson is just below Yates in both.
The Brit’s departure is therefore a heavy blow for the team. When we compare Visma | Lease a Bike’s roster at the start of 2025 with that of 2026 (without Yates) using the data from Cyclingflash in the overview below, we see the team taking a significant hit. This is all the more notable since in an earlier article, we already concluded that Lidl-Trek is very likely to overtake Visma | Lease a Bike next year based on the same Cyclingflash data. Due to the loss of Yates, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe will also sense opportunities to perform better than Visma | Lease a Bike in 2026.
Article continues below this overview.
Visma | Lease a Bike's climbing core is depleting.
Looking at the incoming and outgoing transfers during last winter’s transfer window, we see that two strong assets, Cian Uijtdebroeks and Attila Valter, have left the team. Also, fit riders Tom Gloag, Tiesj Benoot, and Dylan van Baarle add value uphill for a GC team. Nevertheless, according to our Cyclingflash data, the team has actually improved with the incoming riders when it comes to their Mountain and GC ratings. This is mainly due to the arrival of Italian talent Davide Piganzoli and, to a lesser extent, Bruno Armirail.
Tim Rex also showed promising performances as a climbing domestique in the development ranks last year, while Anton Schiffer is also considered a climber. However, both are still inexperienced at WorldTour level. Filippo Fiorelli, despite his fast legs, brings some climbing qualities, which may explain the improvement. The fact remains that with Simon Yates’s abrupt retirement, Visma | Lease a Bike’s Mountain and GC ratings will sharply decline. Finding a worthy replacement for the Brit will be a task for 2027, although the search could start today.
| Rider | Ratings |
|---|---|
1321 1409 1242 1413 - 1516 | |
1402 1103 941 1317 1361 1045 | |
1641 1648 1477 1711 1256 1205 | |
1757 1317 1096 1708 1862 1290 | |
1360 1629 1475 1543 - 1377 | |
1453 1423 1274 1482 1093 1054 | |
1385 1576 1427 1582 655 1074 | |
1178 1306 1164 1423 - 853 | |
1378 1356 1189 1537 810 1013 | |
1779 2047 1905 1769 1234 1428 | |
1436 1910 1782 1603 - 1400 | |
1806 1285 1097 1562 2162 1132 | |
1341 1720 1597 1488 - 1265 | |
1594 1976 1854 1640 806 1331 | |
1364 562 - 1424 1435 1153 | |
1476 1672 1528 1559 749 1281 | |
1390 1002 851 1203 1476 986 | |
1402 1602 1463 1554 769 1060 | |
1376 1513 1387 1435 1106 1017 | |
1655 1840 1689 1727 1162 1253 | |
1477 1750 1636 1605 992 816 | |
1521 1577 1402 1658 923 1257 | |
1848 1649 1444 1759 1738 1608 | |
1320 1496 1340 1453 - 1411 | |
1136 1007 811 1436 - 1028 | |
1049 1063 925 1280 - 697 | |
1330 1189 1021 1365 795 1195 | |
1912 2216 2098 1710 1549 1593 | |
1664 2056 1940 1631 906 1449 | |
1635 1337 1162 1551 1764 1056 |
| Rider | Ratings |
|---|---|
1321 1409 1242 1413 - 1516 | |
1425 1811 1662 1552 - 1682 | |
1440 1561 1397 1639 817 1126 | |
1402 1103 941 1317 1361 1045 | |
1757 1317 1096 1708 1862 1290 | |
1360 1629 1475 1543 - 1377 | |
1485 1485 1341 1493 1165 1072 | |
1614 1521 1346 1683 1469 1065 | |
1385 1576 1427 1582 655 1074 | |
1178 1306 1164 1423 - 853 | |
1378 1356 1189 1537 810 1013 | |
1779 2047 1905 1769 1234 1428 | |
1436 1910 1782 1603 - 1400 | |
1584 1362 1191 1519 1531 1161 | |
1341 1720 1597 1488 - 1265 | |
1594 1976 1854 1640 806 1331 | |
1364 562 - 1424 1435 1153 | |
1476 1672 1528 1559 749 1281 | |
1288 1383 1241 1439 745 961 | |
1402 1602 1463 1554 769 1060 | |
1667 1961 1828 1712 1145 1272 | |
984 1120 1000 1355 - - | |
1376 1513 1387 1435 1106 1017 | |
1655 1840 1689 1727 1162 1253 | |
1848 1649 1444 1759 1738 1608 | |
1136 1007 811 1436 - 1028 | |
1912 2216 2098 1710 1549 1593 | |
1635 1337 1162 1551 1764 1056 |
| Rider | Ratings |
|---|---|
1425 1811 1662 1552 - 1682 | |
1440 1561 1397 1639 817 1126 | |
1485 1485 1341 1493 1165 1072 | |
1614 1521 1346 1683 1469 1065 | |
1584 1362 1191 1519 1531 1161 | |
1288 1383 1241 1439 745 961 | |
1667 1961 1828 1712 1145 1272 | |
984 1120 1000 1355 - - | |
1376 1513 1387 1435 1106 1017 |
| Rider | Ratings |
|---|---|
1641 1648 1477 1711 1256 1205 | |
1453 1423 1274 1482 1093 1054 | |
1806 1285 1097 1562 2162 1132 | |
Daniel McLay To: - | 1390 1002 851 1203 1476 986 |
1477 1750 1636 1605 992 816 | |
1521 1577 1402 1658 923 1257 | |
1320 1496 1340 1453 - 1411 | |
Tosh Van der Sande To: - | 1049 1063 925 1280 - 697 |
Julien Vermote To: - | 1330 1189 1021 1365 795 1195 |