Team Visma’s nightmare season shows no signs of ending—just when you think it can’t get worse, another star rider crashes out. The Dutch squad’s 2026 campaign has become a tragic comedy of errors: retirements, injuries, and illnesses are piling up faster than podium finishes. And here’s the twist you won’t believe—this ‘curse’ isn’t just haunting current riders. Former Visma pros now on rival teams are also sidelining their new squads. But how much of this is bad luck, and how much is systemic failure? Let’s unpack the chaos.\n\nStart with the obvious: Christophe Laporte’s dramatic exit at the Vuelta a Andalucia today. The Frenchman had finally broken his injury-plagued streak, winning the race’s opening stage and sparking hope he’d challenge for spring classics glory. Then, in a cruel flash, a crash derailed his plans. ‘Someone in front slipped and took out his wheel—he had nowhere to go,’ team director Marc Reef explained. Laporte’s abandon? A gut punch for a team already reeling.\n\nBut here’s where it gets controversial… Why are so many Visma riders crashing? The list reads like a who’s who: Wout van Aert’s ankle fracture in cyclocross, Jonas Vingegaard’s season-delaying crash and mystery illness, Sepp Kuss’ sudden sickness at the Tour of Oman, and now Laporte’s mishap. Even former stars like Tiesj Benoot and Olav Kooij are injured at their new teams. Is this just cycling’s brutal reality—or a red flag for the organization’s preparation, equipment, or even morale?\n\nLet’s zoom out. The team lost two major assets already: Simon Yates and Fem van Empel retired weeks apart. Meanwhile, leaders like Matteo Jorgenson and Matthew Brennan are rare healthy exceptions. At the UAE Tour, secondary riders had to step up without Vingegaard, who’d failed to regain form after his early-season crash. And Van Aert, the Belgian powerhouse? He’s racing his planned classics schedule, but questions linger about his fitness after months off the bike.\n\nHere’s the part most people miss: Injuries are cyclocross’s bread and butter, but road racing shouldn’t look like this. Visma’s medical staff must be scratching their heads. Could overtraining be a factor? Or is the pressure of being favorites causing risky racing decisions? Compare this to rivals like UAE Team Emirates or Ineos Grenadiers—sure, they’ve had setbacks, but not this relentless.\n\nAnd yet, the team’s resilience—or lack thereof—is a fascinating case study. When nearly every leader is sidelined, what’s the plan? Do they pivot to nurturing rookies? Rethink training protocols? Or is this just ‘one of those years’?\n\nLet’s debate this: Is Visma’s disaster purely bad luck, or should the management be held accountable? Could their aggressive racing tactics be backfiring? Drop your hot takes below—because this story’s far from over.
