‘Cycling is a big boys' game. You put your balls on the table’ - Victor Campenaerts on rivalry and respect

Victor Campenaerts has dismissed suggestions of a toxic rivalry between Visma | Lease a Bike and UAE Team Emirates-XRG. "Is there rivalry or competition between UAE and Visma | Lease a Bike? Yes, for sure," Campenaerts said on the Domestique Hotseat podcast. "But I can also say we actually have a very good relationship. One of my better friends in and outside of cycling is Tim Wellens."

Campenaerts explained that while the competition is fierce during races, there's mutual respect between two professional teams that are simply doing their jobs, and he referenced his relationship with UAE rider Wellens, on and off the bike, with the pair being former teammates at Lotto Soudal.

“He [Wellens] is a little bit more of a winner himself than I am, but in the Tour, we do a similar job. And of course, we ride elbow to elbow, and we don’t give presents to each other in the race,” said Campenaerts.

“But the same night, we're calling each other and talking about whatever on the phone. So it's not that we're under each other's skin, but we are professional, and we want to win races,” added the Belgian.

He recalled Stage 15 of this year's Tour de France, where Wellens secured victory from a breakaway group that included Campenaerts, with a 43km solo effort. 

"We were even teasing each other in the breakaway a little bit. And he did a really smart move by attacking when I was a bit blocked at the other side of the road," Campenaerts explained. "I gambled in the way that I hoped that other riders would close the gap for me."

Despite his disappointment at missing the stage win, Campenaerts paid respect to Wellens shortly after the stage. "Once in the hotel, I called Tim straight away, and I said, Congrats. Finally, you're also a stage winner in the Tour."

When asked about accusations of arrogance directed at Visma during the Tour, Campenaerts pushed back against the narrative.

"In no way do those accusations really come to us, and we don’t have the feeling that other riders aren’t respecting us,” said Campenaerts. 

"Cycling is a big boys' game. We're not asking politely to take the front, you just take the front, and it is what it is. You put your balls on the table, and in the end it’s the big boys riding on the front, and you don’t hit the front by coincidence.”

Campenaerts also spoke enthusiastically about his role as a domestique for Jonas Vingegaard, revealing the satisfaction he gets from supporting the Danish star despite having displayed his own capabilities to win big races, after his Tour de France stage win in 2024, despite the team having to settle for second behind a dominant Tadej Pogačar in the 2025 edition.

"I went to the Tour de France with only one goal and that was helping Jonas win the Tour de France," he said. "I would betray first the team, but also myself if now I say, 'Yeah, now I want to do my own thing again.'"

"We can honestly say that Tadej was stronger this Tour de France than Jonas. But we tried whatever we know. We had to come up with surprises or unexpected initiatives to try and win the race," he said.

Though schedules are yet to be finalised for 2026, Campenaerts revealed that Vingegaard paid him a nice compliment over dinner recently. 

"We were at the dining table yesterday, and he [Vingegaard] emphasised really with a big underline how happy he is about my work," said Campenaerts. "He said, 'I don't know my program for next year, but I know what your program will be because you're going to spend a lot of time with me.'"

At 34, Campenaerts admitted he is content with embracing his current role as a key domestique, even if it limits opportunities for personal success.

"Of course, if I can win five stages in the Tour, I would be happy. But the difference between one and five is not that big. The difference between zero and one, that's a big difference. Winning in the Tour is forever."

Watch the full episode with Victor Campenaerts in the Domestique Hotseat 👇