Barely time to raise glasses, toast and hang the pink jersey in the trophy case before Visma Lease a Bike is already facing another major change. And it's certainly no small matter because leaving the team will be Grischa Niermann, the racing manager, who will move to Lidl Trek to assume the same position with the men's team.

The news comes directly from the Netherlands, reported by our friends at Wielerflits: Niermann, who had a long career as a professional rider, began working in 2014 with Rabobank after retiring from racing, then joined the WorldTour team in 2017. Since then he has grown under the wing of Merijn Zeeman, whose position he took a year and a half ago when Zeeman moved to football with AZ.

As with the transition from Zeeman to Niermann, Visma Lease a Bike has again decided to promote from within, and the choice to replace the German manager has fallen on Marc Reef, who has just completed the Giro d'Italia leading the team that dominated the race.

REEF'S TURN. Marc Reef, 40 years old, will become the new racing manager of Team Visma | Lease a Bike starting September 1st, 2026, joining the sports management team. The Dutchman, who currently serves as a coach within the team, will take the place of Grischa Niermann.

Reef has been working with the team for over four years. In recent weeks, he was responsible for the coaching team at the Giro d'Italia, won impressively by Jonas Vingegaard. Reef will also oversee sporting operations during the upcoming Tour de France, which will start from Barcelona.

Here are his words: "Being called by the team to take on the role of Racing Manager and join the sports management team is a fantastic opportunity that I can't wait to seize. In recent years, I've had the chance to grow professionally within this team. For some time now, I've felt that the philosophy and culture of this organization align perfectly with me. In the coming weeks, I will focus completely on preparing for the Tour de France. It remains one of the most important objectives for our team".

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT. The news was made official in a web conference by CEO Richard Plugge: "The development and growth of both riders and staff are part of the DNA of this team. We also develop our coaches, confident that they can take the next step in their careers. With Grischa's departure, it is therefore a logical progression within the organization that Marc joins the sports management team of Team Visma | Lease a Bike. While sorry to see Grischa leave, I have great confidence in Marc Reef as our new Racing Manager."

Team Visma | Lease a Bike wanted to thank Grischa for his constant commitment and the work he has done for the team in recent years. In the coming months, the German coach will remain connected to the Dutch team, albeit in a more background role, pending the official handover.