Visma's Niklas Behrens out of action due to heart ablation

Niklas Behrens will undergo a heart ablation later this month, his Visma | Lease a Bike team announced on Friday. The German will be out of action for several months following the procedure to treat what the team described as “heart rhythm disturbances.”

Behrens had not yet raced in 2026 as the start of his season had been delayed by a broken collarbone sustained in a crash at a training camp in Sierra Nevada in February.

“I’m very grateful to the team and the medical staff for their guidance and support in the last days and weeks,” Behrens said in a statement released by Visma on Friday.

“It’s a difficult climb right now, but I will be attacking my recovery with the same focus I bring to every race. While it’s tough to be out of competition and not able to race with my teammates, I’m committed to the process so I can return even stronger. I can’t wait to get back in the peloton, start pinning on a number again and show the team what I can do.”

Behrens won the under-23 road race at the 2024 World Championships in Zurich before turning professional with Visma last year, with his best showings coming at the Tour of Slovakia in September.

“The team emphasizes that his focus is on a full recovery, with the aim of returning to training and competition later this season,” Visma said in the statement. “It is a routine treatment that is successfully performed with active athletes.”