• Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 4:55 PM
Breaking Mike Teunissen is not going to Visma | Lease a Bike. During the Tour de France he found an agreement with the Dutch WorldTeam, where he signed for three years. However, in recent weeks the team management has been trying to get out of the deal. Allow multiple sources CyclingFlits know that he is now moving to Astana Qazaqstan.
The intention was that the 32-year-old Limburger would be Olav Kooij’s permanent lead-out within the team in the coming seasons. The spring core could also count on reinforcements, after Jan Tratnik and the brothers Mick and Tim van Dijke decided to leave for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. For unclear reasons, the team withdraws and tears up the signed contract with Teunissen, after negotiations had already been completed and both parties reached a verbal agreement in July.
The Dutch team leaves Teunissen in his shirt. After a very successful Tour de France last summer, the Limburger could choose from a total of five lucrative offers from WorldTeams. He can whistle for that through this remarkable decision. Visma’s position | Lease a Bike has completely rubbed Teunissen the wrong way and so he chooses to give it his money’s worth. He will play for Astana Qazaqstan next year.
It is extra painful because Teunissen – who has played for the team for six seasons – chose the familiar nest to end his career there in a few years. With the retirement of Robert Gesink, Jos van Emden last year and the departure of Koen Bouwman to Jayco-AlUla, Teunissen would be the rider with the longest history within the team after Steven Kruijswijk, Wilco Kelderman, Van Aert and Sepp Kuss. Given his position in the team, he could even have been one of the culture bearers within the team. Management has put an end to this.
Scoring points at Astana
The Limburger re-entered the market late in September, at a point where many teams are already full or only have a small part of the budget available. At Visma | Lease a Bike offered him an annual salary approaching half a million euros. Ultimately, three more teams reported to Teunissen: Astana Qazaqstan, INEOS Grenadiers and again his current team Intermarché-Wanty. It was already clear to the latter team that they had to financially refute the offer with a creative construction. That didn’t work.
Teunissen saw his sprinter Girmay win three times in the Tour and take home the green jersey – photo: Cor Vos
At the British million-dollar formation, Teunissen was in the picture to succeed Luke Rowe, who will retire from racing at the end of this season and will take up a position as team leader at Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale. However, the Limburger’s qualities are currently mainly as a lead-out, but that would not have suited the British. They do not yet have a top sprinter on board for next season. This also applies to Astana Qazaqstan, although Aleksandr Vinokourov is still busy with that. For example, he attempted to acquire Caleb Ewan from Jayco AlUla.
That deal does not appear to be going through for the time being, even though the Australian formation has given the sprinter a free pass to leave, according to British journalist Daniel Benson. Teunissen has opted for the Kazakh formation, which will have a Chinese main sponsor next year. In the spring classics he must form a strong pair with Italian champion Alberto Bettiol. Teunissen will join the team next year Vino no fewer than four compatriots: neo-pro Darren van Bekkum, Cees Bol, Wout Poels and Ide Schelling.
Astana Qazaqstan 2025 (provisional)
Mike Teunissen’s Turmoil: From Visma Drama to Astana Qazaqstan
Well, folks, it looks like the cycling world has just been whipped into a frenzy that even a roller coaster would envy. Mike Teunissen, the 32-year-old rider with a penchant for thrilling finishes, will not be pedaling his way into the arms of Visma | Lease a Bike after all. Instead, he’s off to join Astana Qazaqstan. But what on earth happened? Grab your popcorn. It’s going to be a wild ride!
Teunissen had initially signed a sweet three-year deal with the Dutch WorldTeam during the Tour de France. I mean, who doesn’t sign life-changing contracts while dodging old ladies on bicycles at 40 km/h, right? But fast forward to a few weeks later, and the team management seems to have engaged in a classic bait-and-switch. Apparently, negotiations went south faster than my last relationship. They went and tore up his contract, leaving our hero Teunissen more disillusioned than a kid who discovers Santa isn’t real.
Now, why would a team with such ambitions ditch a rider like Teunissen, who just showcased his potential during a fabulously successful Tour de France? Let’s just say, the potatoes tasted bad, and the team management might need a slap ‘round the face with a soggy baguette for that decision. Thanks to their indecisiveness, Teunissen now has to count his blessings (and bank accounts) as he moves over to Astana Qazaqstan. Out with the Dutch clogs and in with the Kazakh ambition!
The Hard-Headed Management and Teunissen’s Hurdles
The situation is particularly painful for Teunissen, who was ready to hang his hat at Visma | Lease a Bike for the long term. After six seasons with the team, he was poised to be one of the culture bearers—what a title! But it seems the management figured they must have mistakenly signed him after a few too many drinks or something. Just as he was throwing confetti, he finds himself on the market again, leaving behind a contract that had all the stability of a tightrope walker in a windstorm.
With an annual salary licking close to half a million euros on the table, Teunissen was the hottest property since…well, since last year’s Tour de France. Naturally, he got offers from other teams, including the illustrious INEOS Grenadiers, where he would have suited fittingly—in theory, at least. But without a top sprinter in sight for next season, his lead-out skills didn’t quite match the GBR team’s needs. Initially, it was “What’s the use of a lead-out train without a sprinter?” And then it was “Oh, hello Astana Qazaqstan, where’s my ticket?”
Astana Awaits, and the Drama Continues!
So, Teunissen found refuge with Astana Qazaqstan. The Kazakh team might have a Chinese main sponsor in place, but they now have a Dutch surprise under their belt. It’s like winning the lottery only to find out that the jackpot came with a side of mysterious leftovers!
He will be joining some familiar faces, albeit four compatriots: neo-pro Darren van Bekkum, Cees Bol, Wout Poels, and Ide Schelling. Together, it seems they will have to channel their inner Team Europe’s Next Top Model to decide who gets to wear the pink tights first in the spring classics. So, as Teunissen trades in his green jersey for whatever gets handed out in Kazakhstan, let’s hope he doesn’t leave it all behind him like a poor buffet choice.
As we watch the changes unfold, we can’t help but think—will Teunissen find his footing at Astana, or is he just the latest in a long line of merger and acquisition blunders in the world of cycling? If Astana Qazaqstan can whip something up better than the previous management did with Teunissen, they’ve got themselves a guaranteed spectacle for 2025. If not, they might find him circling back to the départements he left behind, wondering where it all went wrong.
Conclusion
Suffice it to say, the world of professional cycling is as unpredictable as a cat on a hot tin roof. Mike Teunissen’s story is a reminder that sometimes, a plan can be thrown out faster than a one-legged kangaroo on the run. Here’s to hoping he gets to clock in more miles next season than a postman on a caffeine spree. Until next time, keep your pedals spinning and your heart racing!
