Team Visma | Lease a Bike have confirmed a Vuelta a España squad built around Jonas Vingegaard, with Matteo Jorgenson and former winner Sepp Kuss providing high-mountain support. The Dutch team’s goal is explicit – add a second Grand Tour win of the season after the Giro and improve on second place at the Tour de France.
Turin start, summit-finish heavy route
The Vuelta rolls out of Turin before heading into a sequence that mixes four flat stages, ten hilly days, five mountain stages, a team time trial and an individual time trial, finishing in Madrid. It is a route that rewards depth and cohesion – a key reason Visma lean on experienced lieutenants and a balanced roster.
“I’m looking forward to this Tour of Spain,” said Vingegaard. “After the Tour, I first took some rest and then started my preparations for this next main goal of my season. In recent weeks, I’ve been on an individual training camp, with support from the team on site.”
The Dane’s connection to the race is strong. “I rode my first Grand Tour here in 2020, which we won with Primoz Roglic. In 2023, we completed our trilogy here and even stood together on the final podium in Madrid. Hopefully, we can add some more great memories this year.”
Head of racing outlines the plan
Grischa Niermann did not dress it up. “The overall win is our big goal, there’s no need to be coy about that. Jonas is our leader and our biggest chance for the overall victory. But with Sepp Kuss, we have a former winner at the start, and Matteo Jorgenson has recovered well after the Tour de France. Together with Wilco Kelderman, Ben Tulett, Victor Campenaerts, Dylan van Baarle, and Axel Zingle, we have a team that can support Jonas in every situation.”
The route’s pinch points are clear: a team time trial early, summit finishes including the Angliru and Bola del Mundo, and an individual time trial on stage 18 that can reshape the podium late. “We’ll have to be ready every day, but that’s what we expect in a Grand Tour,” Niermann said. “There are quite a few interesting stages, including the team time trial and the individual time trial in stage 18. And of course, the finishes on the Angliru and Bola del Mundo are always special.”
How the eight fit together
- Jonas Vingegaard – leader for the overall
- Sepp Kuss – long-range mountain support, pacing on summit finishes
- Matteo Jorgenson – climbing depth, GC insurance on medium-mountain days
- Wilco Kelderman – road captain qualities, protection on windy or technical stages
- Dylan van Baarle – control on transitional days, experience in hard chases
- Victor Campenaerts – power for the team time trial, break control, engine on flats
- Ben Tulett – climbing domestique with upside in reduced groups
- Axel Zingle – positioning on hilly sprints, utility on rolling terrain
Vingegaard summed up the intent. “I’m here for the overall win, and with this team supporting me, that seems like a realistic goal. There are many stages where differences can be made, so it’s important to be ready from the very start. I’m ready and would prefer to start racing right away.”
Context among the contenders
Two years on from Visma’s podium sweep in Madrid, the team return without Primoz Roglic in their orbit. He won the 2024 Vuelta with Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe but will not defend his title after a Giro-Tour programme. Red Bull turn to Jai Hindley, with support from Giulio Pellizzari and incoming 2026 signing Finn Fisher-Black. Visma’s approach – depth for the mountains, power for the TTT and control on lumpy days – is designed to keep Vingegaard insulated until the race tips into decisive terrain.
Key dates to circle
- Saturday 23rd August – start in Turin
- Stage 5 – team time trial
- Mountain summit finishes – including Angliru and Bola del Mundo
- Stage 18 – individual time trial
- Sunday 14th September – finale in Madrid
Visma arrive with clarity of roles, credible time-trial resources and multiple climbing anchors. The rest hinges on execution – staying out of trouble during the Italian opening, absorbing the repeated summit finishes, and carrying form to stage 18 when the clock can settle arguments.
