Team Visma | Lease a Bike travels to Oman with a mix of experienced forces and young talents. With Olav Kooij in the team it may be clear what the goal is. “Of course we are going for a stage win with him”, Wynants says. “It is the first time Olav and Daniel McLay will ride together. In Oman and later the UAE Tour, we want to strengthen the chemistry between those two and mold automatisms. Daniel is a rider with a lot of experience, but has never been on the road with an absolute top sprinter. I expect that we will take the first steps here.”

In addition to daily success with Kooij, the Dutch cycling formation hopes to aim high in the general classification with Nordhagen and Cian Uijtdebroeks. “It is a conscious choice of the team to give our young talents opportunities in the somewhat smaller races from now on. Then those guys can learn what it is like to ride finals, without being in service of a leader”, the sports director explains. “It is difficult to predict the Tour of Oman, but of course we hope that Jørgen and Cian will take their chances.”

“My season will largely consist of stage races like this”, Nordhagen adds. “Development is the most important thing this year. That's what everything is about. Most races will be where we are at the start with a balanced group, without a clear leader. There will be opportunities to go for own success. I'm looking forward to that. Hopefully I can make nice steps in 2025 that will pay off in results.”

The twenty-year-old Norwegian made the switch from the Development Team to the WorldTeam of Team Visma | Lease a Bike last winter and, in his own words, experienced a good first period as an official professional cyclist. “The two training camps in Spain went well. In December at training camp I shared a room with Jonas Vingegaard. Jonas is a fantastic rider, but above all a very normal and kind person. A good learning point for me was to see his daily preparations for training sessions up close. He shared everything and really wanted to pass it on to me. That's special, of course.”

“In the first months with the team you immediately notice the difference between the Development Team and the WorldTeam. The interaction and dynamics are of course different with older riders next to you. I think I fit very well in a team of older riders and young talents. It’s all about cooperation. Suppose Cian is doing well in the Tour of Oman, I will be the first to sacrifice myself for him and put the team process first”, the rider says. 

The five-day Tour of Oman, from Saturday 8 February to Wednesday 12 February, culminates in the final stage with the finish on Jabal Al Akhdhar, also known as the Green Mountain. “That is probably where the race will be decided. For me it is important not to lose time in the more flat and fast stages. I am also curious about our new sprint train. Where it’s possible, I want to contribute there too. Cycling in the Middle East will be a totally new experience for me. As a cyclist you have to appreciate traveling and enjoy all the new places, environments and cultures you end up in. I'm definitely going to do that”, Nordhagen concludes.

Steven Kruijswijk, Niklas Behrens and Pietro Mattio complete the seven-member team of Team Visma | Lease a Bike in Oman. “With all the young talents, the team will be fine for the next years. We have a few potential top riders with a lot of growth potential. For Niklas it will be his debut with the team and Pietro is joining us from the Development Team for the first time. It will be a nice experience for the guys with enough possibilities and chances to show themselves in finals”, Wynants says.