Ashlin Barry on his first few months with Visma-Lease a Bike, and what’s next

At 18, Ashlin Barry is only a few months into life as an elite cyclist, but the Toronto rider is already getting his first taste of European racing…well, at the elite level, that is. (Barry has had plenty of experience the past few years at high-level junior races in Europe.)

For 2026, is riding on the Dutch powerhouse squad, Visma-Lease a Bike. He is currently on the Continental roster, but will be “riding up” throughout the season with the WorldTour outlet.

First few races in Croatia

Barry opened his season with a pair of races in Croatia, finishing 30th at the UMAG Classic, where Trois-Rivières’s Mathias Guillemette finished 5th. Then at the POREČ Classic, Barry finished ninth. Both races were comprised of Continental and WorldTour feeder squads.

Beyond the results, the races served as an important first step in getting comfortable again.

“It was pretty chaotic trying to contest the sprints in both races but I felt it was a good experience to start the season with,” Barry said.

The races had a bunch of spills affecting riders from his team which meant Barry and the others had to switch up tactics.

“Unfortunately a few of my teammates were involved in crashes so we had to adapt our plan as a team on a couple occasions,” he said.

Getting back to speed

Like many riders returning to racing after the offseason, Barry said it took a bit of time to rediscover his rhythm in the peloton. By the end of the weekend, however, the race miles opened up his legs and he’s stoked for what’s ahead.

“These were the first races of the season for me, and I felt it took some time to get re-familiarized and comfortable racing in the peloton again so I was happy to find myself in the top 10 over the weekend,” he said.

He’s already spent quite a bit of time with both the Conti and the WorldTour riders on his team.

“So far my first year with the team has been great. I have really enjoyed our training camps and the first races,” he said. It’s a whole new team structure to get used to but I think the professional environment suits me well and we have a really nice group of riders.

His first race with the WorldTour team is soon

Barry is scheduled to line up at the Grand Prix Denain in France in the coming weeks, which will mark his first appearance alongside the organization’s WorldTour squad. It’s a tough, cobbled race–also known as the “mini Paris-Roubaix.” The son of former pros Michael and Dede has done well on pavé before….