"It's an honor to ride for this team starting next season," says Keppens, this year’s winner of the Ster van Zuid-Limburg. "As far as I'm concerned, this is the best team in the world. And that's not only in terms of performance at the highest level, but also in terms of talent development. There are so many examples of riders who have further developed with this team. That's the main reason for me to choose Team Visma | Lease a Bike. Both I and the team believe there is still a lot of room to improve.”

Robbert de Groot, head of development at Team Visma | Lease a Bike, is pleased with Keppens' signing. "We've been following him for a long time and I see him as a great talent for the classics. Additionally, we see a lot of potential for improvement overall, especially in time trials. We have every confidence that he can achieve a very high level with us."

Photocredit: Guy Coppens