“I think bringing in Per Strand-Hagenaes is a good idea. I thought he’s having a bit of a coming of age now in the last weeks. You know, he got a win in Antwerp and he picked his moment really well, like showed really good experience”.
Davide Piganzoli a surprise addition
His replacement came as a surprise perhaps in the form of Davide Piganzoli, fresh off the Giro d’Italia and a GC win at La Route d’Occitanie. “Piganzoli, excellent form. You know, why not strike when the iron is hot? Because, you know, he was excellent in the Giro d’Italia”.
Does the team miss out a lot on having a rider like Van Aert in their lineup however? Even if he was to chase his individual ambitions at the same time as aiding Vingegaard’s pursuit of the pink jersey?
“Van Aert is one of the greatest all-rounder riders of his generation, but he isn’t a pure climber, you know? That’s why I don’t think that Visma will suffer the most in the mountains;” Carlos Silva argued. “Piganzoli, Jorgenson and Kuss still give Vingegaard a very strong mountain block”.
In his opinion, the necessity for a strong mountain block is absolutely key going into the race going into this race. “I don’t think the biggest battle of this tour will be between Pogacar and Vingegaard, I think it will be between Emirates and Visma”.
“Because if Vingegaard reaches the final climb fresh, I still believe he has the level to challenge everyone and anyone. The question is whether this team can deliver him to that point without forcing him to spend energy simply can’t afford to waste. So is Visma is in trouble? I won’t go so far…”
Davide Piganzoli and Jonas Vingegaard ahead of stage 20 at the 2026 Giro d’Italia
Would Edoardo Affini’s withdrawal be a disadvantage or an opportunity?
Is Affini fully out of the equation though? “He’s already back on the bike doing some kind of training already, but it’s just the Tour de France comes too soon, you know,” Quinn argued. “You have a team time trial to begin with, so you need to be in top shape. And even Van Aert, after his fall was not really in top shape in the Dauphiné (Auvergne, ed.) TT”.
“So it would probably be the right call in terms of, if I’m a sports director and I’m thinking, what’s the best I can get out of my team, it’s probably not to bring Affini if he is sporting any kinds of effects after the crash.”
Edoardo Affini’s recent crash means he might have to withdraw from the Tour de France
Rúben Silva sees the answer as almost definitive, but does not rule out that in the long game, it may not affect the team’s chances of winning the race: “I am not positive at all that Affini is going to be at the Tour. I think it’s too early, it just is too early. The luck is not going to be falling on his side, but I don’t think it’s a disaster”.
“I think Affini, is very important for what they have planned, but as Carlos mentioned, I don’t think Jorgenson is at the level of Del Toro. He’s not going to be able to put pressure on Del Toro. I think adding Piganzoli to the team makes sense, and adding Ben Tullet next also makes sense. I think Visma, they need a lot of riders in the mountains”.
UAE will have Isaac del Toro backing up Tadej Pogacar and in recent years it has been rare for the World Champion to ever be under pressure. Tactics should be the Dutch team’s biggest weapon and for that they need a lot of climbers in the decisive stages to use them in different ways.
“They need men to send to the breakaways, just every mountain stage, and play their cards. If Pogacar has a day where he’s not so good, they have to take advantage of it from far away,” he argued.
“They have to take advantage of it using tactics that are not just going head-to-head, because when was the last time that Pogacar was beaten head-to-head in a mountain race? It was literally three years ago, if my memory doesn’t fail me here. I think it was 2023”.
In the upcoming days it will be understood whether Visma will keep Affini in the team’s lineup, and if not, who will be his replacement.