Coen Bouwman will leave Visma Lease-a-Bike at the end of the season to join Jayco Arla. The two-time Giro d'Italia stage winner has signed a two-year contract with the Australian team, which has already signed Ben O'Connor from Decathlon-AG2R.

"In this team I can fulfill my dreams and my ambitions, which I still hold strongly. I want to race aggressively again after being on a team where the overall standings were the most important thing in every race."

Bouman turned pro in 2016 and has spent his career in Visma. He was a mainstay of the Giro during that time, finishing 12th overall in the 2021 race before taking two stage wins and the mountains title the following year.

This success seemed to be a leap forward for Bouman, who had won a stage at the Criterium du Dauphiné earlier in his career. However, despite his aptitude as a climber, he never made the Tour de France Visma squad. This season, he won the overall title at the Settimana Coppi e Bartali, but then fell ill at the Tour de Romandie and missed the Giro.

"Racing the Grand Tours and being part of the long, intense preparation is my favorite part of cycling," Bouwman said. 'I love riding on the road for a long time with a group and sharing the good and the bad with them. I've ridden nine Grand Tours, but I've never ridden the Tour de France.

Bouman is the fourth new signing confirmed for 2024 by Jayco Alula, following O'Connor, Neo Pro's Hamish McKenzie, and British rider Paul Double, who will join from Portico Meter.

"Cohen is a great addition for us. He will be a strong domestique for a GC rider like Ben O'Connor, and he has experience working with GC riders on Team Visma." Bouman will not only fit the role, but will also have the opportunity to deliver results in a small one-week race."

Simon Yates, who has led the team in Grand Tours for the past 10 years, will leave the team at the end of the season to join Visma Lease-a-Bike.