Could Zeeman's departure lead to tough times for Visma | LaB? Ten Dam critical of "crown prince" Pidcock

The year 2025 could be challenging for Visma | Lease a Bike, according to Thomas Dekker. The former rider noted that the Dutch team, due in part to bad luck, couldn’t compete with Tadej Pogacar. However, he believes that the departure of sporting director Merijn Zeeman could be a crucial factor in the team's future, as he discussed on Live Slow Ride Fast. During the discussion, they also briefly touched on the possible reasons for Tom Pidcock's upcoming departure from INEOS Grenadiers.

According to Dekker, much of Visma | LaB's success is attributable to Zeeman's skills, more so than people realize. The Dutchman will hand his responsibilities for the killer bees over to Grischa Niermann. "It's very clear, we know both Zeeman and Niermann. They are two completely different personalities. Of course, Grischa has probably learned a lot over the past few years. But the leadership, with Richard Plugge on the sidelines, is largely thanks to Zeeman."

"Last year, they won three grand tours. In the coming years, they should be very pleased if they can compete with Vingegaard against Pogacar for victory in the Tour de France," Dekker says realistically. "It could also very well be that a few slower years are on the horizon. Of course, they’re bringing in good riders and getting the most out of them, but it's also possible that some tougher years lie ahead."

Read more below the photo!

"That dominance will end, but the question is how long it will take"

All of this is, of course, primarily due to the dominance of Pogacar, as the former Rabobank rider also observes. "He’s simply five percent better. The only way to level the playing field is by making the course less demanding. That would give others more room to handle the course. Even then, you’d likely have the same winner, because he’d just push harder. But challenging races with a rider this good can make for a dull competition."

The Slovenian’s reign won’t last forever. "That dominance will naturally end. Every time there’s an era where a rider stands out so much, it eventually fades. Although this is quite an extreme case. Now the question is how long things will continue in this way. But I'm not bitter about it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t make a podcast about it."

Ten Dam on Pidcock: "I think they've probably said no a few times now"

The imminent departure of Tom Pidcock was also discussed by the men. The Brit is reportedly drawing interest from Q36.5 Pro Cycling and wasn’t selected for the Giro di Lombardia, which he expressed dissatisfaction about in an Instagram post. "I think they've probably said no a few times now," sighs Ten Dam. He gets the sense that Pidcock was treated as a "crown prince" at INEOS Grenadiers, but believes that period is over now. "Merijn Zeeman also once said, 'We’re going to do it my way, because I won’t bend everything to the stars.’ Then came a consistent approach. That might be a turning point for INEOS, but it doesn’t sit well with Pidcock."

Read also

Evenepoel reveals why he finished in tears and why he believes he's the one to challenge Pogacar

Pogacar replies with powerful speech to (new) doping insinuations and questions about consistent, dominant top form

How can Pogacar still deliver record-breaking performances? "At the World Championships, he was exhausted for the first time"