Bouwman has just returned from an altitude training camp in Tenerife, where he spent the last three weeks with his teammates. While on the Canary Islands, he was informed that he would replace Wilco Kelderman at the Giro. "It's a pity for Wilco that he did not recover in time, but for me, it is a great opportunity to return to Italy. The Giro is one of the most beautiful races I've ever raced. I look forward to racing there again."

Bouwman is confident that the six-day stage race will give him the fitness he needs for the season's first grand tour. "Originally, this race would have been one of my bigger goals, but now that I am riding the Giro, we have changed my training schedule", the Dutchman says.

Bouwman predicts that breakaways will have little chance at the 77th edition of the Tour de Romandie. This year's edition features two chronos, two flatter stages and two stages with uphill finishes. "It'll be nice if we can battle for stage wins. With Tim van Dijke, we have a fast man for the hills, and we will also see if we can ride a good classification with Jan Tratnik."

For Bouwman, it will be his first race since winning the Coppi e Bartali. The Dutchman won the third stage and secured the overall classification. "It's a great feeling to win a race. In today's cycling, the prizes are shared by a small group, so it is good to win a race yourself", says Bouwman, who has his sights set on the race in Romandie. "I'm ready to race again."

In addition to Bouwman, Van Dijke and Tratnik, Team Visma | Lease a Bike's squad includes Bart Lemmen, Robert Gesink, Johannes Staune-Mittet and Julien Vermote.