Teunissen and Visma | Lease a Bike had agreement, but team turns its back on him: Astana Qazaqstan offers way out

Mike Teunissen is leaving Intermarché-Wanty and signing with Astana Qazaqstan. The 32-year-old Dutchman will spend the next two years in green and blue. This is surprising because initially, there was talk that he would represent Visma | Lease a Bike's yellow-black colors. The Dutch team chose differently for unclear reasons.

A press release from Astana Qazaqstan confirms the transfer. Teunissen explains his reasons for choosing the new adventure instead of returning to the old territory. "This is a big challenge for me. I am very much looking forward to this project, which is still old and new but with big ambitions. On the one hand, Astana Qazaqstan is a new team for me, but I believe I will integrate quite easily because there are already several Dutch riders with the team. Now, there will be more. I'm grateful for this opportunity and ready to achieve success with this team in the upcoming spring classics."

Team manager Alexandre Vinokourov explains why he sees Teunissen as the perfect asset for the spring. "With Mike on the team, we have strengthened our classics group. Together with other riders, he will determine the core of the spring. It is no secret that we have not performed well in these races in recent years, so we are trying to improve that." The team also previously contracted Wout Poels and Darren van Bekkum. So, Bol and Schelling are included, which brings the total number of Dutchmen to five.

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Visma | Lease a Bike had agreement, but later reversed decision

The transfer is very controversial because Wielerflits reported that Teunissen could enjoy several offers from WorldTour teams. He chose Visma | Lease a Bike in July. There, he would become a key figure in the lead-out for Olav Kooij. The Dutch formation has backed out: they tore up the contract, so Teunissen could not return to familiar territory. In the end, Astana offered a way out.