Yesterday afternoon, during the first stage of the Vuelta Espana Femenina, it was somewhat perplexing to see only five Visma Lease a Bike athletes lined up at the starting podium and then, a few seconds after the timer had started, the other two team members hastily appearing. Many wondered what was happening to the team of Marianne Vos and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. The explanation came directly from the Dutch team through a statement.

The document reads: "Although the athletes arrived in time for the mandatory bike check before the team time trial, delays occurred due to another team's late arrival. Additionally, the check was initially conducted by only one staff member, further extending the waiting times. A second inspector was later deployed, but by then the Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women could not benefit from this. Consequently, some cyclists received their bicycles so late that they could not start on time."

The statement continues by specifying that "The Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women will file a formal complaint to the UCI management".

It concludes with statements from Jacco Verhaeren, the team's performance manager, who explains: "I went directly to the UCI jury after the stage. They also admitted that the issue was not handled correctly. We operate in elite sport and this is one of the most important races in the calendar. Of course, we congratulate the legitimate winners today, Lidl-Trek, for their victory. At the same time, we want to emphasize that sport is about fair play for all teams. Unfortunately, today that was not the case, and we deeply regret it."