Dutch sprinter Mike Teunissen has lastly signed for Astana Qazaqstan after Visma-Lease a Bike reportedly pulled out late from an settlement in July to signal the Intermarché-Wanty rider for 2025.
Teunissen, 32, was attributable to provide up his professional lead-out abilities for Olav Kooij at Visma within the coming seasons as his profession nears an finish. However, in keeping with WielerFlits, who broke the information on Tuesday. he was compelled to re-enter the switch market and discover a new staff simply final month.
Having turned professional in 2015 for LottoNL-Jumbo, a earlier iteration of Visma, and gained the opening stage of the 2019 Tour de France, it appeared like an ideal alternative to rejoin forces, with the efficiency workers additionally trying ahead to having Teunissen again.
“Mike Teunissen can also be coming again, I do not know if it was a secret however I believe it was already talked about,” mentioned Visma DS Frans Maassen to Cyclingnews in September, earlier than the reported deal fell by.
“I believe it is a actually vital one for Olav [Kooij] within the subsequent years so yeah, I believe we’re getting excellent guys who make us stronger.”
With Visma off the desk, there was nonetheless nice curiosity in Teunissen. The Dutchman has proved his price as a lead-out previously two seasons working for Biniam Girmay at Intermarché-Wanty and contributing to the Eritrean’s historic haul of three stage wins at this yr’s Tour.
In search of UCI factors, as the following relegation cycle from the WorldTour enters its remaining yr of three in 2025, Astana have introduced in Teunissen on a two-season deal to bolster each the Classics squad and given Mark Cavendish’ imminent retirement additionally probably dash for himself.
“With Mike Teunissen becoming a member of the staff, we’ll strengthen our classics group and kind the core for the spring. It’s no secret that lately, we haven’t carried out very nicely in these races, so we’ll attempt to change that,” mentioned staff supervisor Alexander Vinokourov.
“Teunissen is a powerful domestique, however he’s additionally able to attaining outcomes on his personal in sprints, particularly on difficult terrain.”
Teunissen is one in all 9 new signings on Astana Qazaqstan for 2025, alongside Nicola Conci, Aaron Gate, Sergio Higuita, Florian Samuel Kajamini, Wout Poels, Alessandro Romele, Diego Ulissi and Darren van Bekkum, with Alberto Bettiol additionally becoming a member of mid-season in 2024.
“This is an enormous problem for me, and I’m trying ahead to becoming a member of this challenge, which is each previous and new on the identical time, however with nice ambitions,” mentioned Teunissen in a press launch.
“On the one hand, Astana Qazaqstan is a totally new staff for me, however I consider I can combine fairly simply, as there are already a couple of Dutch riders within the staff. Now there might be yet another.”
2025 might be an enormous yr for Astana Qazaqstan and their incoming new sponsor XDS Carbon-Tech, the Chinese carbon product producer hoping to make vital long-term modifications and set up itself as a serious participant within the WorldTour.
Vinokourov’s staff are in dire want of factors from the likes of Teunissen subsequent yr, nevertheless, as they at present sit in twenty first and just below 5000 UCI factors away from the highest 18 staff positions that may make up the WorldTour from 2026.