Jumbo-Visma confirms name change to Team Visma | Lease a Bike in 2024: "Inspiring people to cycle"

After it was announced a few weeks ago that the teams of Plugge and Patrick Lefevere would not merge, Amazon also seemed to drop out as a potential sponsorship candidate. Amazon would opt out, but the parent company of Cervélo would step in for a partnership, so the Dutch media outlet Algemeen dagblad reported at the time. That company is PON, a Dutch firm that operates worldwide as a bicycle manufacturer as well as an importer of several car brands (including Audi, Volkswagen and Skoda).

Cervélo is one of the many bike brands under PON, as is 'Lease a Bike (Cannondale, Gazelle and Focus, for example, are as well). Lease a Bike focuses on the benefits of business bicycle leasing for employers and would thus end up adding its name behind that of Visma as of January 1, 2024. It had been clear for some time now that Visma was going to commit to the Dutch cycling team as the main sponsor indefinitely. However, it was anyone's guess who would become the second sponsor. 

According to the Dutch cycling medium, the move assures the future of the 'killer bees' team. However, the question remains whether the budget for 2024 can match that of 2023 when Jumbo was still financing extensively. Insiders are reportedly talking about a budget between 25 and 30 million euros for 2024. It's also still to be seen whether a third 'major player' will join the discussions and, if so, whether Visma and Lease a Bike would step back when this sponsor pops up.

More than a month later, the rumors were so prevalent that Jumbo-Visma announced the cooperation through the team's website on Friday. "I am proud to confirm the new agreements with Visma and Lease a Bike, two strong international companies with which we have had an excellent relationship for quite some time," reacts CEO Richard Plugge. "This collaboration has developed over the past years, allowing us to take another significant step forward. Thanks to Visma and Lease a Bike, the team has the resources to continue developing and improving. This year, we have once again proven that we are capable of growing and achieving success together. That remains our shared goal for the long term."

"The mission of Lease a Bike is to inspire people to start cycling. As a sport, for commuting and in everyday life," said Ward Matser, managing director of Lease a Bike. "And what better way to spread this message than through an inspiring cycling team? We want to encourage people to live healthier and more sustainable lives and see Team Visma | Lease a Bike as a way to contribute to this goal. We are already successful in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Austria and we are expanding to other countries in Europe and to the US. We believe in innovation, developing talent and doing a little better every day. We share this vision with the team."

Finally, the team, which will present itself at the media day on December 21, also confirms its collaboration with sponsors Cervélo, Škoda, Nimbl, Reserve Wheels, MAN and BBB Cycling.