Visma | Lease a Bike loses key rider to Jayco-AlUla: "Attack, win, and the Tour de France"

Koen Bouwman has signed a two-year contract with Team Jayco-AlUla. The 30-year-old Dutchman had already been preparing for a departure from Visma | Lease a Bike, where he spent his entire career. Thus, it marks the end of an era, swapped for an Australian adventure.

Jayco-AlUla already counts two Dutch riders, Dylan Groenewegen and Elmar Reinders, among its ranks. Bouwman is introduced in a press release as a 'boost for the climbing squad'. Simon Yates has left to ride for Visma | Lease a Bike, moving in the opposite direction. Ben O'Connor has been recruited from Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale to lead the general classification efforts. Additionally, Jayco-AlUla's lineup includes talents like Mauro Schmid, Eddie Dunbar, and Filippo Zana.

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Bouwman voiced his doubts about Visma | Lease a Bike

This was the perfect opportunity for Bouwman to pursue more personal opportunities and compete in the biggest races. At Visma | Lease a Bike—where he had been a part of the team's development since 2015—Bouwman won six times. His victories began in 2017 with a stage in the Critérium du Dauphiné, but the peak came in 2022 when the 'Tukker' won two stages and the mountain classification in the Giro d'Italia. That year, he also triumphed in a stage in Slovakia, and this year he achieved both a stage win and the overall victory in the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali.

It was there that Bouwman first voiced his doubts about his future at Visma | Lease a Bike. In an interview with IDLProCycling.com, he stated that riding the Tour de France with the Dutch team was almost impossible. In another interview, Bouwman mentioned he was disappointed to have been initially passed over for this year's Giro. He eventually made the selection due to others dropping out, but as if cursed, Bouwman himself had to withdraw from the grand tour he had always participated in since 2018 due to COVID-19. He has ridden the Vuelta three times but has never participated in the Tour de France.

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Bouwman extremely ambitious at new team

Things are expected to change at Jayco-AlUla, where Bouwman hopes for more opportunities and a more challenging schedule. "Koen is a fantastic addition to our team," says team manager Brent Copeland in a press release. "With his experience, he will be a strong support for our general classification riders like Ben O'Connor, but that won't be his only role. Koen will also have the opportunity to compete for his own chances in week-long stage races. We believe he can bring out the best in himself in races like the Tour of Catalonia, Paris-Nice, or Tirreno-Adriatico."

That sounds promising, and thus Bouwman is very pleased with this opportunity. "Jayco-AlUla has expressed a lot of confidence and belief in me, and I was very keen to join. With this team, I can achieve my dreams and ambitions. At Visma | Lease a Bike, the general classification was the priority in every race, but I would like to race more aggressively and go on the attack again. I'm versatile and can be useful in any race. I especially love grand tours and the intense preparation they involve. I've ridden nine, but never the Tour de France. It's high on my list. I want to win more races and also help the team with my experience and passion for cycling."