The 2024 season is about to begin. The Visma-Lease a Bike team will begin its journey at the Tour Down Under in Australia, and for former Air Force officer Bart Lemmen, an exciting debut will take place in the competition.
“I really enjoyed the first months. Everyone is friendly and the team is enormously professional at all levels”, said the 28-year-old cyclist, who has never raced on the World Tour, in conversation with the team’s official website.
“It did me a lot of good and gave me confidence for the future. Plus, I immediately felt welcome and truly part of the team.”
More time to train after the Air Force
“I completed all the training sessions perfectly and we have been working more and more intensely”, continues Lemmen. “In Spain I took another important step and connected all the dots.”
“Last year I still had to work (in the Air Force) during this period; Now I have more time to train and the ways I train are different. I really like all of this.”
Lemmen, a former Air Force officer, had a sudden move to the Dutch team last year. Now, the Dutchman is ready to race full time, for the team that made history in 2023, winning all three Grand Tours. His debut will take place at the Tour Down Under, in Australia.
“During the stages I will try to help Milan Vader as much as possible in his qualifying ambitions, and my personal goals are there too. I hope to be useful for Milan, supporting them until the final. Furthermore, I am also very happy to make my debut for the team.”