Visma | Lease a Bike enters new era after parting Gesink and Zeeman: "Geez, where to start?"

Visma | Lease a Bike will have to do without two of the men who have been on board since the Plugge era in 2025. Robert Gesink said goodbye as a professional cyclist on Sunday, while Merijn Zeeman will officially leave the cycling team for soccer club AZ as of December 1. Mathieu Heijboer, Gesink's trainer, sparring partner, and/or one of Zeeman's successors, explains to IDLProCycing.com what that means for the team.

As a time trial specialist, Heijboer consistently flew in for the big tour time trials and was thus also in Madrid on Sunday for the concluding ordeal in the Vuelta. Of course, for him, the farewell to Gesink was also pivotal. The Rotterdam native watched the ancients finish together with his former trainer Louis Delahaije, and of course, the necessary specialist matter was discussed in the Spanish capital.

With Gesink and Zeeman's departure, only a few people remain on board who experienced the decline of the (then) LottoNL-Jumbo team: Director Richard Plugge, of course, but also rider Steven Kruijswijk, team manager Frans Maassen, and rider and then team manager Maarten Wynants. Wilco Kelderman is also back in the old nest, while former riders Jos van Emden, Jan Boven, and Paul Martens hold other positions within the team.

Anyway, it should be clear that Gesink and Zeeman symbolize the journey the team has been on together. Heijboer also realizes this, who, as a trainer, will, of course, say goodbye to Gesink after his retirement and, together with Grischa Niermann, Jacco Verhaeren, Patrick Broe, and Robbert de Groot, will form the sporting management of Visma | Lease a Bike from October 1.

What exactly does Visma | Lease a Bike lose from Robert Gesink's retirement?

"Well, geez, yes (silence), where to begin?"

It is up to you.

"Actually mainly a steady asset. Someone you can always build on and count on, who is always there. Especially in the big tours. He has always been a certainty for us, and this year with the Giro and Vuelta. That's the most important thing, a steady asset."

So are we talking about an extension from you: the staff, the trainers?

"Definitely. That's the way it has grown. In our bad years, he kept us going with his good performances. In 2017, we started to grow as a team, and he took on a different role, with guys like Primoz Roglic coming to the top. Guys who were even better than him."

"Nevertheless, he has always been a super important contender. In the races, but also outside of them. Then you have to think about how we deal with each other in our team, what we find essential in our organization ... those things Robert has always radiated."

Read more below the photo.

In soccer, they often talk about guards of the culture. Can we put that label on him?

"Those are umbrella terms, but something always happens when Robert is with us. And something also happens when he says something so you can give him that label."

How do you notice that?

"Robert says pretty much on the bus. When those young guys start finding out who he has cycled with, experienced in the meantime, and won yet, it goes without saying that everyone is silent for a moment and listens carefully to what he says. He has also grown much more in that role in recent years, transferring his knowledge and giving his opinion. In that way, he has managed to make the team better."

How would you describe your personal connection to Robert?

"I succeeded Louis, Robert's previous trainer, as Head of Performance and took over Robert's training a little later. Training him was easy; that was particularly working towards the big moments. In terms of bonding and relationships, you then talk a lot more about conversations about the team and how we can move forward together. We'll miss him, but it's a nice moment to retire for him."

Of course, in addition to Robert, Merijn is also leaving Visma | Lease a Bike. Are you guys dealing with the fact that two team pillars have fallen away since 2013/2014?

"You don't bring in a frontrunner like Robert; that's obvious. But sometimes, riders from whom you don't expect it suddenly roll into such a role. That is a natural progression; new riders will rise again."

"We are working very proactively on replacing Merijn. With the new management, we have already had a lot of conversations about the future, so we are really aware of that as a group."