“A third Tour victory would be a dream come true. It has been three years since I last won the Tour, and ever since then it has remained one of my biggest goals”, Vingegaard says. Just over three weeks ago, the 29-year-old Dane became only the eighth rider in history to complete the Grand Tour trilogy by winning the Giro d’Italia in dominant fashion. “That gave me a tremendous amount of confidence heading into the Tour de France.”

Vingegaard continues: “Those were incredible weeks for us. Not only did we win the overall classification, but I also took five stage victories and Sepp won a stage as well. It gave us a huge boost and reinforced the feeling that we can win the Tour. I believe in myself, and that confidence spreads throughout the team.”

Alongside the Danish leader, Team Visma | Lease a Bike will line up with Victor Campenaerts, Matteo Jorgenson, Bruno Armirail, Sepp Kuss, Edoardo Affini, Per Strand Hagenes, and Davide Piganzoli. The latter two will make their Tour de France debuts. It was previously announced that Christophe Laporte would miss the race due to injury, while Wout van Aert was forced to withdraw last week.

“That is obviously a significant loss”, Leading Race Coach Marc Reef says. “Wout is incredibly difficult to replace. Over the past years, he has had a huge impact in Grand Tours and is always a rider who takes the race on. For his long-term health, this was the best decision we could make. Even so, we arrive in Barcelona with a very strong and well-balanced lineup. We have riders who can support Jonas excellently both on the flat and in the mountains.”

That support will certainly be needed. The Dutch team faces a challenging route through Spain and France. Following the opening team time trial, the peloton will head through the Pyrenees and over the Tourmalet before reaching the Alps, where the race will finish atop the legendary Alpe d’Huez twice before arriving in Paris. “That final double-header will undoubtedly be decisive in the battle for the yellow jersey”, Reef predicts.

The Leading Race Coach believes the opening stage in Barcelona will already be crucial. “The team time trial is an important appointment right away. It says a lot about the strength of the team; not just the riders, but the entire organization. We invest heavily in time trialing because we want to be the best, and I’m convinced we can make a difference there as a team.”

“It’s a slightly  different course from what we’ve seen in recent years at the Tour, which makes it even more exciting. Completing the Grand Tour trilogy has given Jonas even more motivation to go all-in for the overall victory in France. During the Giro, there was a fantastic atmosphere within the team, with everyone fighting for one another. We want to recreate that same spirit at the Tour de France.”

Part of that team is Piganzoli, who impressed on home roads during last month’s Giro d’Italia. “He really made a difference in several mountain stages”, Reef says. “The fact that he is now making his Tour debut says a lot about his development. A few days ago, he called the 23-year-old with the news. “I couldn’t believe it. It’s incredibly special. The Giro was an amazing experience for me, and I was proud of the way we raced there. I’m ready to give everything I have at the Tour”, Piganzoli smiles.

Hagenes will also make his Tour de France debut. The Norwegian becomes the first rider to progress from Team Visma | Lease a Bike Development Team to the roster of the biggest race on the calendar. “It’s absolutely incredible and a huge honor. I’m very grateful for this opportunity. It feels like a reward for the last five years. I’m really looking forward to helping Jonas achieve his third Tour victory.”

“This fits perfectly with the team’s philosophy”, Reef explains. “We develop young talent and give them opportunities at the highest level. Per has grown enormously over the past five years, especially during the last two seasons. Having a rider from our own Development Team on the Tour de France roster says a lot about our organization. Hopefully, he will be the first of many.”

Reef concludes: “Alongside those two, Victor, Bruno, Edo, Sepp, and Matteo give us a very versatile team to support Jonas in the fight for the general classification. We are not only prepared for the toughest climbs, but we have also carefully selected powerful riders who can position Jonas during the flat stages. I’m really looking forward to the coming month.”

For the 113th edition of the Tour de France, Team Visma | Lease a Bike will once again race in a special Tour de France jersey. Named ‘The Architect’, the design is inspired by the work of architect Antoni Gaudí and the spirit of Barcelona, connected through a honeycomb motif. Unlike previous years, two versions of the jersey have been created: a light edition and a dark edition.

After more than 100,000 votes, a narrow majority of fans selected the dark design as the team’s official Tour de France jersey for 2026. The light version will be worn by the riders during the two rest days, making it the team’s first-ever Rest Day Jersey. Starting today, both jerseys are available for purchase again in the cycling team’s online store.