Joining the team quite late, Louis Barré was a somewhat surprising but delightful Christmas present for Team Visma | Lease a Bike. The 25-year-old Frenchman developed rapidly into one of the most consistent riders at his former team, Intermarché–Wanty, in 2025, showing his qualities from early February to late September. Among his best results were a sixth place in the Amstel Gold Race, multiple top-10 finishes on stages in WorldTour races, and another sixth place in the Grand Prix de Montréal. He also came much closer to victory in the Grand Prix de Bretagne than his 50th place result suggests.

Judging by the results he achieved last year, Barré’s potential in hilly one-day races seems obvious, and he doesn’t deny that exactly those races are what gets him out of bed. “The biggest moment of my career, apart from riding into Paris in the Tour de France, was my performance in the Amstel Gold Race, where I raced with the best. I dream of winning races like Amstel, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Grand Prix de Montréal. I would describe myself as a puncheur who likes long, tough one-day races, so that’s also where I want to develop,” Barré says.

After meeting his teammates for the first time, Barré quickly felt good in the new environment. “The atmosphere here is really good, and I’ve been enjoying meeting all the new people. The team is one of the biggest in the world, and I’m really looking forward to working for big leaders like Wout and Jonas, who can teach me a lot about racing in general. I really want to be part of their victories.”

With his performances in 2025 in mind, Barré will not only be on domestique duty. He will also get the chance to lead the Bees in races and stages that suit him. “Sometimes my teammates will also be able to help me with my goals, which is exciting. In the Ardennes, we will probably have multiple leaders, so we can play different cards in the finale, which I think is a great tactical option,” Barré says. 

Favorite meal: 

“Pizza or boeuf bourguignon. But I like a lot of different food, although I often just cook pasta myself.”

Favorite holiday destination: 

“Bali was really nice.”

Favorite music: 

“Spanish music, French music, or US rap. Bad Bunny would be my favorite artist.”

Hobby outside of cycling: 

“I enjoy many different sports, especially trail running and athletics. I do a bit of trail running in the off-season, and I like to go for a run during the season as well.”