Belgian WorldTour squad Lotto-Intermarché will be lacking a key member of their management in the fast-upcoming Tour de France after it was announced this week that their Head of Performance, Aike Visbeek, would be quitting the team, effective immediately.
Visbeek, 49, had been performance manager of the Circus-Wanty-Gobert squad since 2020, and remained in that role once the team, having gained Intermarché as a sponsor, went through a prolonged but finally successful fusion with Lotto at the end of last season.
As reported by Sporza, before his unexpected exit Visbeek had ben instrumental to helping the team take some major triumphs with Biniam Girmay. Prior to leaving for NSN at the end of last season, the Eritrean took multiple stages of the 2024 Tour as well as a stage of the Giro d'Italia as well as Gent-Wevelgem on home soil.
Latest Videos From
Prior to Circus-Wanty-Gobert, Visbeek worked at Sunweb for seven years as a sports director.
While changes in top managerial positions are far from unusual in cycling's WorldTour, the timing of his exit is striking, given it comes just days before Lotto-Intermarché tackle the top stage racing event of the calendar.
In a statement published on the team's social media, Visbeek said, "It has not been an easy decision, but I look back with great pride on everything we have achieved together.
"I would like to thank Jean-François [Bourlart, team manager] and everyone within the organisation for the trust, collaboration and friendship over the past months and years. I leave knowing the team is well prepared for the future and wish everyone continued success."
"Aike has made a significant contribution to the growth of our team through his vision, expertise and leadership," Bourlart said. "Together with a strong and dedicated performance team, he has helped build an organisation that provides a solid foundation for the future.
"I will always remember the great achievements we shared such as Gent-Wevelgem, as well as the Tour de France stage wins and the Green Jersey or most recently our victory at Eschborn-Frankfurt in May. We sincerely thank Aike for everything he has brought to our sporting and performance project and wish him every success in the next chapter of his career."
While Visbeek's future remains unknown, at least in the short-term, Lotto-Intermarché's next big challenge is the Tour.
In France, the Belgian WorldTour squad will be mainly aiming for stage wins with sprinter Arnaud De Lie. But it will also be eying any chance of breakaway victories with Lennert Van Eetvelt – forced to leave the Giro d'Italia early after breaking a finger, as was De Lie because of sickness – plus Frenchman Baptiste Veistroffer, constantly on the attack this year, and 2026 Eschborn-Frankfurt winner Georg Zimmerman.
The world’s biggest bike race deserves world-class coverage. Subscribe to Cyclingnews for unlimited access to our unrivalled reporting of the 2026 Tour de France. From Barcelona through to Paris, our experienced team will bring you breaking news, expert insight, and in-depth coverage from every stage as the battle for the yellow jersey plays out. Plus, access the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on the go! Find out more.
