First a World Cup title, then a new contract. Niklas Behrens' sporting future has been clarified. The German U23 world champion, who is currently still riding for the Lidl-Trek development team, has signed a three-year contract with Visma | Lease a Bike signed until the end of 2027. There, the young German will meet two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard, among others.
Niklas Behrens on his move
"This is a team that I have always looked up to due to their high level of professionalism. I'm really looking forward to being part of such a great team," Behrens is quoted as saying on the Visma | Lease a Bike website.
Grischa Niermann sees great potential in his compatriot, who used to be a swimmer and triathlete and has only been fully focussed on road cycling for three years: "He hasn't been racing for long and still has a lot of room for development. We are confident that we can take him to the next step in his still young career," says the German sports director.
The 1.95 metre tall Behrens won gold in the U23 road race at the World Cycling Championships in Zurich last Friday. He came out on top ahead of Slovakia's Martin Svrcek and became the second German world champion in this category after Gerald Ciolek in 2006.
