Dutch cyclist Marianne Vos has signed an extraordinary contract extension with Visma-Lease a Bike, allowing her to continue competing for the team for as long as she wishes. Dubbed by many experts as the best female cyclist of all time, Vos has been riding for Visma-Lease a Bike since its inception in 2021.
"It gives me the opportunity to look ahead year by year, but I'm not thinking about the end yet. There are many opportunities after an active career, but that's not my focus right now. I wasn't considering quitting and didn't want to think about an end date, so it was the perfect deal that allows me to focus on the present and just keep going. It also gives me peace of mind - you don't have to think about when and what to do, you just have to be at your best," said the 37-year-old Vos.
It's a rare form of contract, but not unprecedented for Visma-Lease a Bike. For example, male rider Wout van Aert signed a similar contract in September 2024. "We didn't talk to Wout directly about the contract, but he's also at the Amstel Gold Race. We sometimes meet at races or training camps and he congratulated me on the deal, so I'm very happy - as is Wout," said Vos.
Vos, who was crowned Olympic champion in London in 2012, is also a three-time world champion in road group stage and an eight-time world champion in cyclo-cross, and last year he won gold at the gravel world championships. It may sound unbelievable, but Vos sees room for improvement.
"The team has big goals and it's great to be a part of it. I don't want to make any specific promises or goals. I just want to do my best and look for areas where there's still room for improvement. It may sound strange, but there's still a lot that can be worked on in terms of training, nutrition and other elements that have evolved over the years," he confirmed.
Some stories are just too good to end.
— Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women (@visma_lab_women) April 19, 2025
Team Visma | Lease a Bike 🤝 Marianne Vos
2021 - forever pic.twitter.com/utsebYbaA8
