Visma-Lease a Bike Women have bolstered their ranks for the 2025 season by signing two of the sport’s top junior talents, Imogen Wolff and recently crowned junior MTB XCO World Champion Viktória Chladonová.
Briton Wolff is due to make her debut in the yellow and black as a stagiaire this Sunday at La Choralis Fourmies Féminine, where compatriot and fellow young star prospect Cat Ferguson is also due to make her first start with Movistar.
With Chladonová and Wolff signed until 2027 on three-year deals, Visma have secured heaps of potential for the coming seasons, alongside the experience and brilliance of Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, who is their marquee signing for 2025 onwards.
Wolff's biggest success on the road came in March when she soloed to victory at Piccolo Trofeo Binda, the junior version of the Women's WorldTour race in Italy, ahead of Ferguson in second. She's also had big wins on the track as the current junior points race and team pursuit world champion.
Chladonová has largely had road success on home roads in Slovakia, where she has dominated the junior circuit and been both junior national road race and time trial champion.
Both multi-discipline riders, Chladonová and Wolff still intend to ride cyclocross alongside road as they progress in their development, with Visma’s success at combing the two being evident in the form of two-time CX world champ Fem van Empel completing her first full road season this year.
“I hope to learn as much as possible in the coming years, both on the road and in cyclocross,” said Wolff on the team’s website. “I like the challenge of making the step up to the professionals and riding new races. I hope I can learn a lot in the peloton during the races and eventually grow as a rider to a very high level.”
“The development opportunities the team offers for young talents fit my future perfectly. It allows me to combine my favourite discipline, cyclocross, with road cycling,” said Chladonová, who was third at junior CX worlds in February behind Ferguson and champion Célia Gery, who has signed with FDJ-Suez.
“I've been riding for a small family team for the past few years, and then to now join one of the biggest WorldTour teams will be a big change for me. I'm excited to have been given this opportunity.”
After making the step up so young at just 18, Visma didn’t look to put any pressure on their new signings’ shoulders, with development and integrating Wolff and Chladonová into the WorldTour being key.
“When I first spoke with the team, it was quickly clear that a lot of attention would be paid to my development,” said Wolff. “They had a clear plan for the coming years, without much pressure and with room to learn. This appealed to me.”
“Imogen and Viktória have achieved very good results in the past years. We want both riders to slowly grow to WorldTour level,” said women’s Team manager Rutger Tijssen. “Above all, we expect them to grow and discover what they are good at. The big results are less important in the first years.”
