Loe van Belle follows the Visma | Lease a Bike teachings in 2024: "They really do see value in that"

Van Belle was in Australia representing Visma | Lease a Bike, along with Robert Gesink, Koen Bouwman, Milan Vader, Johannes Staune-Mittet, Mick van Dijke and Bart Lemmen. A great mix of experience and young talent, making him feel right at home in the team. "The whole trip was excellent. It was my first time racing outside of Europe, so that already made it a beautiful experience."

"We were there a bit beforehand, of course, so we essentially had all the time to get used to the temperatures and such. That was super relaxed, and it really is beautiful to experience. I really enjoyed it," said Van Belle, who as part of his journey Down Under also enjoyed the famous business class flights arranged by sponsor Singapore Airlines for all participants of the cycling race. "The traveling was very relaxed. I had already heard that from the other guys. If this is your first WorldTour race, then you immediately get the best of the best. To put it that way," he laughs out loud.

Last year, the rider from Zoetermeer in the Netherlands already competed in races such as O Gran Camino, Coppi and Bartali Week, Four Days of Dunkirk and the Tour of Slovakia with the main squad of the Dutch team. According to him, that made adjusting to the Tour Down Under relatively easy. "Being in my first WorldTour race was especially cool. In that way, I noticed this was the real deal. As for the tension, it was all pretty manageable. I already raced some races with the pros with the U23 team last year. Those were ProContinental races, and this was the WorldTour, but still. It made things relatively easy now, or rather, it felt familiar."

"The guys also made sure I felt good about things. Robert told me a few times that I should enjoy it and that the team signed me for my level as a rider, so in that sense, I didn't have to worry," Van Belle shares. "That was somewhat reassuring, and it gave me the feeling that everything would turn out fine. Which then allowed me to fully enjoy it."

For Van Belle, enjoying the experience went hand in hand with performing very well: on multiple occasions, he played an important role in support of team leaders Vader and Lemmen. He also, for example, finished an impressive 36th in the stage to Mount Lofty. Overall, this created a positive atmosphere in the group, which was also somewhat surprised by Lemmen's fifth place in the general classification. "The vibe was very positive. Milan, Koen and I saw his work last year in the Tour of Slovakia, and we already knew he could go really hard on the bike. Especially on those punchy climbs, like in Australia. So we knew he could go hard, but doing so at the highest level was still extra impressive. When we saw that, we really thought: now we're going all out for Bart," he offers a glimpse into the tactical approach.

The slight tension on the flight over was replaced by confidence on the return trip: first WorldTour race done, another box ticked. Van Belle is now looking toward the future. "We've been back from Australia for a while, so it's all moving quite quickly. The jet lag only lasted a few days, and the trip back to Europe was pretty easy. It all went smoothly."

So where can we expect to see the South Hollander next? "I'm doing Murcia and Almeria in Spain next weekend, and then I'm heading to the UAE Tour. After that, in early March, there are two Belgian one-day races on my schedule, Cricquelion and Monseré, which will be mixed races between the pro team and the development team," Van Belle reveals. "That's great because after a few races with the big guys, where you have a specific task, you also get the chance to ride the finale yourself at a slightly lower level. Then I'll be doing Catalonia. That's a tough race, so it will be quite the challenge to race such a demanding course. And for now, I'm also doing the Volta Limburg Classic," the young rider says, revealing his spring plans.

It sounds like a typical Visma | Lease a Bike development program. "That's the team's vision. They want to work and grow step by step, and maybe I'll need an extra year compared to the other two guys who also made the switch, Per Strand Hagenes and Johannes Staune-Mittet. But it's the team's vision, this mixed program approach. They really do see the value in it," he says realistically. Meanwhile, Van Belle also has to do his share of work in the WorldTour races, which he is very much looking forward to. "In the UAE Tour, I'm going to be the controlling man, for Olav Kooij. So it's not immediately the plan for me to chase a result on the uphill myself, but maybe Bart will need my help there too."

Van Belle already mentioned Hagenes and Staune-Mittet himself, but during the Tour Down Under, he also saw young talents Isaac de Toro (UAE-Team Emirates) and Oscar Onley (DSM-Firmenich PostNL) achieve stage wins. Doesn't that make him dream of doing the same? "Nah, I don't look at it that way," Van Belle responds pragmatically. "Some riders progress faster than others. It's great for them that they're doing so well, and of course, that's a bit of motivation, but with hard work and dedication, others can achieve success too. Besides, it's a matter of patience and having confidence, also in the plans the team has for me. Everyone develops at their own pace."

And he has been able to make significant steps forward in his development last winter, which provides a solid foundation for the coming seasons. "It is related to both the transition to the big leagues and your annual development. Last year was about discovering what type of rider I am and can become. In 2022, I was climbing with the better riders in l’Avenir, but at the beginning of 2023, I struggled more with climbing. I had also gained some muscle mass, so we had to consider what direction to take."

That decision has now been made. "Around September, we decided to go all-in on the classics and to develop my skills in that area. I also think that's where my natural talent lies, because I'm explosive and can climb, but I also have good positioning skills. That's why I trained with the classics group last winter."

So those are the races where we can expect to see the Dutchman in the coming seasons. In his wildest dreams, he sees himself in the spotlight racing the big Monuments. "In five or six years, I hope to have won a few professional races. That's my ambition, to become a pro who can compete for victories. Preferably in the classics, but my real big dream is the World Championship. We'll see if that can ever become a reality, but ultimately, it's my ambition to one day become world champion. But of course, I mainly hope to steadily develop into a good rider for the classics," he explicitly states his short and long-term ambitions.