Free the bees: Visma is shifting to hunting stages

The team is still protecting Jonas Vingegaard’s second place overall, but it’s clear the objectives have broadened.

Joe Lindsey

Gruber Images, Cor Vos

Caley Fretz contributed reporting from Luchon-Superbagnères.

When stage 11 winner Simon Yates and his teammate Sepp Kuss joined the breakaway on the toughest Pyrenean stage of the 2025 Tour de France, it seemed like maybe some kind of master strategy was afoot, a way for Visma-Lease a Bike to deal Jonas Vingegaard back into the yellow jersey fight.

But 100 km later, after Tadej Pogačar outkicked Vingegaard to the finish line behind Thymen Arensman, the lone survivor of the break, Vingegaard himself said there was no Col du Granon-like strategy unfolding. Asked what the plan was by having Kuss and Yates up front, he said, “Basically to go for the stage, actually.” 

And just like that, Visma’s Tour has flipped over from a fight for yellow to stage hunting.

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Tour de France
News & Racing
Visma-Lease a Bike
Jonas Vingegaard
Matteo Jorgenson
Sepp Kuss