Take3 weeks ago
Without Vingegaard, Visma-Lease a Bike arrives at the Vuelta a España 2026 not with a GC plan, but with three distinct threats: van Aert hunting stages and the opening TT in Monaco, 21-year-old Brennan on his Grand Tour debut, and Kuss — who simply won't stop racing.
Kuss is lining up for his third Grand Tour of 2026 — Giro, Tour, Vuelta — having won stage 19 of the Giro from a breakaway and come close on two Alpe d'Huez stages at the Tour before crashes intervened. His GC role in Spain is nominal; the team's stated objective is stage wins, not a red jersey campaign. Van Aert returns to Grand Tour racing for the first time in over a year after an elbow injury, targeting the Monaco time trial on day one. This is Visma-Lease a Bike in opportunist mode — three different weapons, no single axis.
Sources
Visma-Lease a Bike to be led by Wout van Aert, Matthew Brennan and Sepp Kuss at Vuelta a Espana | CyclingnewsVisma | Lease a Bike Roster for the 2026 Vuelta a EspañaVuelta a España 2026 team-by-team guide: leaders, GC ambitions, sprinters and stage hunters - ProCyclingUKSepp Kuss Goes Beast Mode and Races Third Grand Tour of 2026 at Vuelta a España