Visma | Lease a Bike announces McLay as lead-out for Kooij after rejecting Teunissen: "Just what we needed"

In the search for a permanent lead-out for Olav Kooij, Visma | Lease a Bike has reached a decision. At first, Mike Teunissen was planning to return, but that deal was torn up for unknown reasons. The Dutch team opted for Dan McLay.

The team announced in a press release that the Brit will transfer from Arkéa-B&B Hotels and become the regular lead-out for Kooij. "We are happy to welcome Dan," says Grischa Niermann. "His experience and skill match our goals perfectly. We are very confident that he will make a big impact. He has a lot of experience as a lead-out and is exactly what we needed. In particular, his lead-outs for Arnaud Démare at the Tour were impressive. We hope he can do the same for Olav Kooij on our team next season."

For McLay, the move to Visma | Lease a Bike is a big step up. "I am looking forward to joining the team. Team Visma | Lease a Bike has a good reputation for developing riders. Even though I am getting on the old side, I still have room to improve. My ambitions are to do the best possible job, especially in the lead-out for Olav."

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Teunissen not returning to Visma, heads to Astana

The lead-out spot for Kooij was initially reserved for Teunissen. The 32-year-old Dutchman was supposed to return to his old team after a two-year adventure at Intermarché-Wanty, where he had been under contract for six years (divided over two periods). But Visma | LaB eventually chose otherwise despite already having signed a contract. As a result, Teunissen had to switch gears: he eventually chose Astana Qazaqstan, where he would reinforce the Dutch delegation.

A significant factor in McLay's departure from Arkéa is the French team's financial situation. Those problems are so massive that some important riders will have to leave, Le Télégramme reported. After 2025, the contracts of both main sponsors expire; therefore, Vincenzo Albanese and Clément Champoussin have to go. With the departure of the British sprinter added, the battle for the WorldTour license will be tough.

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