The powerful Visma team to try to conquer the 2026 Tour with Vingegaard

Just under a week until the start of the 2026 Tour de France, Team Visma Lease a Bike has officially announced the lineup with which it will attempt to reclaim the yellow jersey in the French round. The Dutch team will arrive in Barcelona with Jonas Vingegaard as the absolute leader and with the goal of conquering his third victory in the Grande Boucle after the successes achieved in 2022 and 2023.

Visma Lease a Bike confirms its team for the 2026 Tour de France: Vingegaard seeks his third crown without Van Aert

The formation led by Marc Reef faces the race with boosted morale after the recent Giro d'Italia, where Vingegaard completed the Triple Crown of grand tours by adding the only one missing from his palmarès. The Dane dominated the Italian race with five stage victories and a clear display of superiority.

“A third victory in the Tour would be a dream come true. It has been three years since I last won, and since then it has been one of my major goals,” Vingegaard explained. “The Giro gave me a lot of confidence going into the Tour. I believe in myself, and that confidence also transfers to the rest of the team.”

A team built to protect Vingegaard

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The block selected by Visma Lease a Bike will be made up of Victor Campenaerts, Matteo Jorgenson, Bruno Armirail, Sepp Kuss, Edoardo Affini, Per Strand Hagenes, and Davide Piganzoli, in addition to Vingegaard himself.

The main absence will be Wout van Aert, whose withdrawal was already confirmed last week after the infection resulting from the fall suffered during the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes worsened. Christophe Laporte will also be absent, as he continues to recover from his physical issues.

Marc Reef acknowledged that losing Van Aert is a hard blow to the team's aspirations.

“Wout is incredibly difficult to replace. Over the past few years, he has had a huge impact on the grand tours and has always been a rider capable of changing the course of the race. However, we arrive in Barcelona with a very balanced team ready to support Jonas both on the flat and in the mountains,” he pointed out.

The team time trial in Barcelona, the first major battle

The 2026 edition will kick off on July 4 in Barcelona with a team time trial that could create the first differences among the general candidates.

That is precisely one of the terrains where Visma hopes to establish its territory from day one.

“The team time trial will be a very important event. It reflects the strength of the entire project, not just the riders. We invest a lot in this discipline because we want to be the best and believe we can make a difference from the start,” Reef explained.

After the Catalan departure, the route will take the peloton through the Pyrenees, including a passage through the Tourmalet, before facing an Alps that will once again play a decisive role. The organization has designed a particularly demanding finish with two ascents to Alpe d’Huez before the final arrival in Paris.

According to Reef, those alpine days could decide the battle for the yellow jersey.

Piganzoli and Hagenes will debut in the Tour

Among the novelties of the lineup are two debutants. The Italian Davide Piganzoli will race his first Tour after the good sensations shown in the Giro d'Italia, while the Norwegian Per Strand Hagenes will become the first rider from Visma's development team to reach the Tour de France lineup.

“I couldn't believe it when they called me to tell me. It's something very special. The Giro was an incredible experience, and I am ready to give it my all in the Tour,” commented Piganzoli.

For his part, Hagenes highlighted the significance of this step in his career.

“It is a huge honor. I see it as the reward for five years of work. I am looking forward to helping Jonas achieve his third victory in the Tour.”

Team Visma Lease a Bike lineup for the 2026 Tour de France

1. Jonas Vingegaard
2. Matteo Jorgenson
3. Sepp Kuss
4. Victor Campenaerts
5. Bruno Armirail
6. Edoardo Affini
7. Per Strand Hagenes
8. Davide Piganzoli