  We link the recent computation beyond leading twist of the impact factor of
the transition gamma*T -> rhoT performed in the light-cone collinear approach,
to the dipole picture by expressing the hard part of the process through its
Fourier transform in coordinate space. We show that in the Wandzura-Wilczek
approximation the impact factor up to twist 3 factorises in the wave function
of the photon combined with the distribution amplitudes of the rho-meson and
the colour dipole scattering amplitude with the t-channel gluons. We show also
that beyond the Wandzura-Wilczek approximation, the hard contribution of the
amplitude still exhibits the signature of the interaction of a single colour
dipole with the t-channel gluons. This result allows a phenomenological
approach of the helicity amplitudes of the leptoproduction of vector meson, by
combining our results to a dipole/target scattering amplitude model.
