Visma reportedly secure Belgian super talent in major coup from Decathlon
Visma | Lease a Bike are set to add another major prospect to their ranks. Seff Van Kerckhove will reportedly leave the Decathlon CMA CGM pathway to join the Dutch team from 2027, following older brother Matisse into the organisation.
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Visma | Lease a Bike have reportedly secured the signing of Seff Van Kerckhove, one of the standout talents in Belgian junior cycling.
The 18-year-old had been expected to continue with Decathlon CMA CGM after spending both of his junior seasons in the French team's U19 structure. According to DirectVélo, those plans have now changed, with Van Kerckhove opting for a move to Visma instead.
La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Ciro Scognamiglio later reported that Van Kerckhove has signed a four year deal running through 2030.
He is expected to start with Visma | Lease a Bike Development in 2027 before eventually making the step to the WorldTour team.
Major junior wins
Van Kerckhove has established himself among the leading riders of his generation over the past two seasons.
His breakthrough came in 2025, when he became Belgian junior time trial champion in his first season in the category, won the Giro della Lunigiana and took bronze in the time trial at the World Championships in Kigali.
He confirmed that status in 2026. Van Kerckhove retained his title at the Giro della Lunigiana, one of the toughest stage races on the junior calendar and previously won by riders including Tadej Pogačar, Remco Evenepoel and Paul Seixas. He also won Eroica Juniores, the junior edition of Strade Bianche, and the prestigious Classique des Alpes Juniors, while finishing third overall at the Ain Bugey Valromey Tour. He successfully defended his Belgian junior time trial title as well.
His 2026 campaign was cut short by a serious training accident ahead of the World Championships in Montreal. Van Kerckhove was struck by a car and suffered three new vertebral fractures, forcing him to miss both the time trial and road race.
The move also brings Seff into the same organisation as his older brother Matisse Van Kerckhove.
Matisse has spent the past two seasons with Visma's development team and will step up to the WorldTour squad this winter after impressing at under 23 level and in races against elite opposition.
Seff had originally been expected to make a similar progression through Decathlon's development structure. Instead, Visma have now brought him into their own pathway on what is reportedly a long term contract.
It gives Visma another highly rated prospect to develop, strengthening a talent pipeline that has become increasingly important to the Dutch team.
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