Zeeman on Wout Van Aert: "Without Van der Poel and Pogacar, Wout would probably have won the tour of Flanders a few times already"

In the first 2024 episode of the cycling podcast 'In Het Wiel,' created by Thijs Zonneveld and Hidde van Warmerdam, Merijn Zeeman was featured as a guest. The sporting director of Visma | Lease a Bike delved into the successful year of 2023 (and the reaction of the outside world), psychological safety, the departure of Primoz Roglic and Wout van Aert's new approach to racing.

"We've discussed within the team that we shouldn't just forget about last season and winning the three grand tours," begins the 45-year-old Zeeman about last season. "It's something that will forever be etched in history. It must remain tangible and always visible. We need to keep realizing that we've achieved something no other cycling team ever has. We must cherish it, especially considering where we started."

"Firing Erik ten Hag won't change anything at Manchester United,' asserts success coach Zeeman

Zeeman also stressed the importance of working hard internally to build a close-knit staff to prevent scenarios like those at Ajax, where the efforts of a few 'outsiders' seemingly undid years of success. "I don't know all the ins and outs of Ajax, but there's some truth in it. People often think that bringing in a new player or coach will solve everything, but it's much more complex than that. When sports are written about, it's usually about the athletes themselves and sometimes about the coaches and trainers. But it never covers the companies they have become. For instance, firing Erik ten Hag now won't change anything at Manchester United," he says firmly. "If the entire organization's culture isn't right, it's not going to work."

And this leads the conversation to psychological safety. "That's certainly the most important condition for achieving collective success," believes Zeeman. "At least, that's my conviction. That's how we approach team-building at Visma | Lease a Bike. Of course, this doesn't mean that you only have to be nice to each other. A safe environment actually means that you are able to confront each other and truly give feedback. So, it's about debating the content. That's how you really make progress."

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Zeeman on Roglic's Departure and Van Aert’s Classic Spring (Against Van der Poel)

When asked if he feels and notices that the current Visma | Lease a Bike team (formerly known as Jumbo-Visma) is becoming less popular in the peloton, Zeeman agrees. "Definitely. That was already the case last year. It's kind of a wave motion. When you're the underdog, you're often more popular, and people find you more attractive and likable than when you become more dominant. Then you face more criticism and things tend to be blown out of proportion. Moreover, you start dealing with more suspicions. And then popularity decreases. Except with the riders from other teams. That doesn't really apply to them. When I approach someone to join our team, most of them are really super enthusiastic."

Then there's the departure of Roglic, who moved to Ralph Denk's BORA-hansgrohe. "I've had many conversations with Primoz over the years. When Jonas (Vingegaard, ed.) really broke through, something changed for Primoz. On one hand, he found it very beautiful and was extremely proud of the team's development. But on the other hand, he draws a lot of motivation from winning himself. That's really his driving force. So, I did feel that it was becoming increasingly difficult for Primoz. But I also didn't want to let him go just like that because he was very important to us." Is Zeeman still afraid of Roglic? "I know that Jonas can beat anyone, but I also know that Primoz will beat us many times. On some finishes, he's almost unbeatable."

Finally, there's Van Aert, who has scaled back his cyclo-cross activities with the view that it gives him a better chance of success in the spring classics. "Indeed, we haven't won a Monument for a while. But we will keep pushing hard until we succeed," he says ambitiously. "In a classic, the team's influence might be less significant than in a grand tour. However, I am confident that we are capable of winning a Monument. We have all the right ingredients for it. Without top riders like Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar, Wout would probably have won the Tour of Flanders a few times by now. Those two are just so extremely good. That makes winning a classic even harder. This generation of cyclists is extraordinarily good. In a man-to-man situation at the end of a race, it's very difficult to beat Mathieu or Tadej. That applies to the entire peloton, but it still applies to us as well."