A St Albans cyclist has just signed for one of the biggest teams in the world - home of the reigning Tour de France champion.

Will Smith is one of two new signings for the Visma Lease a Bike development squad, the senior team led by Jonas Vingegaard, winner of Le Tour in 2022 and 2023.

Having begun life with both Verulam Reallymoving and Oaklands Wolves, Smith has been rapidly moving through the ranks, most recently with Trinity Racing.

However, his results this year have elevated him to a new level.

A 10th place finish in the Liege-Bastogne-Liege U23 race was followed by a second place in the mountain's classification at the Ronde de l'Isard in France.

He then placed 35th overall in the baby Giro, the Giro d'Italia Next Gen which has been won in the past by Juan Ayuso, about to support Tadej Pogacar at Le Tour, and Ineos Grenadiers pair, Tom Pidcock and Leo Hayter.

He has signed a contract for the next two seasons.

Speaking on his new team's website, Smith said: "In my eyes, this is the best development team in the peloton.

"It is good for my development to stay in the U23 category a bit longer.

"The past two years have been very educational, but with this team, I also get the chance to compete in professional races and race with the World Tour riders."

Team Visma's head of development, Robbert de Groot, said: "We have been following [him] for a while and have closely monitored [his] development since their transition to the U23 category.

"Smith is a good climber with a lot of growth potential. He is a typical example of a rider who needs a bit more time to develop, but we are confident that we can help him get to a higher level over the next two years."

The team's other new signing, Norwegian Mikal Uglehus, added: "The team has a proven track record of guiding riders to a higher level.

"You rarely see a rider get worse at Team Visma."