Lemmen describes his early cycling career as a journey of discovery. The 28-year-old Dutchman left his job as a defence officer last year to embark on a life as a professional cyclist. After a season with Human Powered Health, he has been wearing the yellow and black since this year.

Lemmen: "Last winter was the first time I spent a whole winter just cycling and training. I couldn't do that before because of my job." The rider is now reaping the benefits. The Dutchman impressed at the start of the season, finishing fifth in the final classification of the Tour Down Under and tenth in the United Arab Emirates.

"Of course, I knew I was well prepared, but it was more than I could have imagined in the first few months. I'm really enjoying my time with the team. The way the team works suits me perfectly. In addition, the peripherals of Team Visma | Lease a Bike are excellent: the clothing is fast, the coaches are top-notch, and we ride the best bikes available", Lemmen concludes.

Sports director Marc Reef is impressed with Lemmen's performance in his first period with the Dutch cycling team. "He is really exceeding expectations. We started a process with him in December. A year earlier, he wasn't even a full-time professional. Finishing fifth in his first World Tour race and then confirming his qualities by finishing tenth in the UAE Tour is extremely impressive."

"Physically, he is already showing that he's further along than we thought, but that doesn't mean he is our leader. Next week in Catalonia, he will have to ride for Sepp Kuss and Cian Uijtdebroeks", the sports director explains. "We will be satisfied if one of our riders finishes on the podium. Cian is in good shape after finishing seventh at the Tirenno-Adriatico. The upcoming race will be another good test for the Giro d'Italia, where he will be one of our eye-catchers."

The seven-day stage race in north-eastern Spain has no flat stages. Last year, Team Visma | Lease a Bike finished on the podium in Barcelona with former rider Primoz Rogliz. The race starts on Monday, 18 March, in Sant Feliu de Guíxols. Lemmen predicts a tough week: "This will be my first multi-day race without sprint stages. I want to find out where I stand and help our leaders as much as possible in the final."

'Discovery' is a good word to describe Lemmen's early cycling career. "My journey has been different from the average professional. I was recently asked if I'd like to write a book about my adventures. Well, I've just finished the first chapter. Sure, I got here in an atypical way, but I am far from finished with cycling. I am looking forward to the next few months with this fantastic team."

Lemmen will start a new chapter at the 103rd edition of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya with the following teammates: Sepp Kuss, Cian Uijtdebroeks, Loe van Belle, Robert Gesink, Steven Kruijswijk and Attila Valter.