When it rains, it pours, and for Wout van Aert and his team, Visma-Lease a Bike, the storm just won't let up. This once-golden team is now facing one of the toughest starts to a season imaginable, and it's a real rollercoaster of a ride.
Van Aert's withdrawal from the season-opening classic, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, is just the latest chapter in a series of unfortunate events that have left the Dutch team reeling. It's a far cry from the Midas touch they seemed to possess just a few years ago.
Van Aert's winter has been a whirlwind, to say the least. The star of the team's classics fractured his ankle in the cyclocross fields at the start of January, casting a shadow of doubt over his preparations for a crucial season where he aims to finally conquer a cobbled Monument. It's been a rocky road for Van Aert over the years, with COVID, punctures, and broken bones all adding to the list of misfortunes. Meanwhile, his rival, Mathieu van der Poel, has been racking up Monuments with ease, leaving Van Aert with just one under his belt - the 2020 Milan-San Remo.
Van Aert's famous cry, "Ik moet juist niks!" (I don't have to prove anything!), from his 2023 E3 Saxo Classic win, seems to be at odds with the increasing pressure and expectations he faces in Belgium. It's a delicate balance, and one that has sparked debates among fans and critics alike.
Last year's Dwars door Vlaanderen race is a perfect example. Van Aert and his teammates found themselves in a three-against-one situation, and instead of attacking as a team, he opted for a solo sprint. It backfired spectacularly, resulting in an embarrassing moment for both rider and team. Van Aert admitted he was "too eager," and some critics argue that his selflessness in the 2023 Gent-Wevelgem, where he effectively gifted the win to teammate Christophe Laporte, was not the mentality of a true winner.
Being labeled as both too selfless and too selfish, Van Aert must have felt caught between a rock and a hard place. With only two victories in 2025, albeit significant ones at the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France, and 12 wins in the past three seasons, it's clear that Van Aert needed a clean slate and some momentum heading into this crucial year. Unfortunately, events in 2026 have conspired against him, making the already challenging Spring campaign against Van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar even more daunting.
But it's not just Van Aert who is feeling the heat. His team, Visma-Lease a Bike, is also facing a series of setbacks. The disrupted season preparation of Jonas Vingegaard, the two-time Tour de France winner, who suffered a crash and then fell ill, forced him to change his early-season plans. On top of that, Vingegaard lost his long-time coach, Tim Heemskerk, who had helped him reach the pinnacle of his form.
The team has also seen the departure of several key riders, including Dylan van Baarle, Tiesj Benoot, Olav Kooij, and Cian Uijtdebroeks, leaving a significant gap in their lineup. And if that wasn't enough, the sudden retirement of Giro d'Italia champion Simon Yates and the career hiatus of Fem van Empel, one of the sport's biggest talents, have added to the team's woes.
These decisions have sparked conversations about burnout, with former pro Tom Dumoulin suggesting that riders can feel 'caged' by the team's structure. Van Aert and team manager Richard Plugge have had to speak out against this narrative, adding another layer of distraction to an already challenging situation.
And then there's the future of the team itself. Title sponsor Visma is taking a step back, leaving a significant sponsorship void to fill. While the team's survival beyond 2026 is not in question, the difference between surviving and thriving is vast, especially in the highly competitive world of professional cycling.
Visma dominated the UCI rankings in 2023, winning all three Grand Tours, but the pace of change since then has been rapid. More money is flowing into Pogačar's UAE Team Emirates squad, and Lidl-Trek and Decathlon CMA CGM have joined the super-team race with big-money sponsors. Visma, once the dominant force, now risks being left behind.
Plugge is leading the sponsorship search, but until that big-budget backer is secured, the team's identity and structure will remain uncertain.
As the 2026 season kicks off with the traditional Opening Weekend, Visma-Lease a Bike finds itself in troubled waters. Will they be able to turn things around? Keep an eye out for Matthew Brennan's potential Omloop-Kuurne double, which could be the game-changer that flips the narrative.
