With a heavy heart, Zeeman says goodbye to Van Aert and clarifies Pogacar comment: "That’s the clickbait version"

After twelve years with Visma | Lease a Bike and its predecessors, Merijn Zeeman is ready for a new chapter. The former team manager is moving into the world of soccer as the general director of AZ. He will leave behind what feels like a second family, but he trusts that the Killer Bees will remain in good hands.

Zeeman joined Rabobank in 2013, just nineteen days before the team lost its main sponsor due to the Lance Armstrong scandal. “It was a tough ride: setbacks, difficulties, criticism, as well”, Zeeman told Het Nieuwsblad. “To eventually build something great and meaningful from it all. It made me and Richard (Plugge, ed.) soul mates, if I may say so. I can honestly say: Visma changed my life. Where I am today, the opportunities I’ve been given… none of it would have happened without the team. These last twelve years have probably been the most important period of my life.”

Wout van Aert played a major role in the success of Visma | Lease a Bike. Zeeman has a special bond with the Belgian rider; after Van Aert’s crash in Dwars door Vlaanderen, Zeeman visited him in person to share the news of his departure. Their reunion in the hospital was emotional. “Wout has a special place in my heart, as do his family and in-laws. It’s a connection I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. Working with him was a privilege. Wout is an exceptional athlete, an extraordinary person with incredible perseverance. A fantastic leader.”

Van Aert recently signed an open-ended contract with the team, meaning he will ride for the Dutch team as long as he is a professional cyclist. “Richard and Robert van der Wallen suggested it, and I thought it was the best possible idea. Wout is the natural leader of Visma | Lease a Bike, embodying how we view sports. It’s painful that our collaboration is ending. The dream Wout and I shared was, of course, to win the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. I’m very disappointed not to be directly involved anymore, but I still hope it will happen. I firmly believe in it.”

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The secret formula of Visma | LaB: "We don’t have an excuse culture"

In 2023, Visma | LaB had its most dominant season in the team’s history, winning all three grand tours. This year, however, has been quite disappointing in comparison. “2024 has been a dip compared to previous years. Whether that’s just due to bad luck or if there’s more going on, that’s something the people taking over my job will now evaluate. I handled the preparations, but I’m no longer part of the evaluation discussions. One reason why this team is so successful is precisely because we don’t have an excuse culture. We address issues head-on.”

“And let’s not forget, this past year we still won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and Dwars door Vlaanderen, along with Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico,” Zeeman continues. “What we achieved with Jonas in the Tour, especially after his crash, is still a top performance in my view. He’s one of the few riders who’s managed to beat Pogacar one-on-one.” Vingegaard defeated Pogacar in Le Lioran in a grueling sprint. After a tough preparation (due to a hard crash in the Tour of the Basque Country), a second place in the GC was the best outcome the defending champion could achieve.

Zeeman previously commented that Pogacar’s dominance might not be great for the sport. “Well… that’s really the clickbait version of what I actually said. Now you’re asking me to respond to something I didn’t quite put that way. I certainly don’t regret Pogacar’s dominance. He has the right to win wherever he wants. What I meant was that when you win a lot, people often start enjoying it less. He’ll experience that too: right now, he’s by far the best rider. But many people are already hoping that other riders will eventually challenge him.”