Interview | "Morale, attitude, focus..."; Wilco Kelderman enjoyed 'super' altitude training Jumbo-Visma

From a Belgian point of view, the Tour of Switzerland is a very interesting race to follow with Remco Evenepoel and Wout van Aert at the start, but Dutch fans can normally keep their eyes open over the coming week as well: For Wilco Kelderman will start on behalf of Jumbo-Visma with classification ambitions, as he explained to IDLProCycling.com the day before the race;

In any case, a busy period is coming up for Kelderman, who - due to the failure of Steven Kruijswijk - will also start in the Tour de France. That initially caused a double feeling. "I really don't begrudge Stevie falling out of the Tour team like that, because he was already in very good shape. For myself though, it's nice to be able to do the Tour, sitting at home with good legs in July would suck a little bit."

At least Kelderman knows how Kruijswijk must feel: day by day it has been three months since Kelderman rode his last race. March 11, he crashed in the sixth stage of Tirreno-Adriatico, which saw his goals - the Giro alongside Primoz Roglic - for the months that followed fall by the wayside. After an altitude training camp at Sierra Nevada and another additional altitude boost in Switzerland, it is now time to race again for the Jumbo-Visma acquisition.

Your first race in three months. Does it still tickle then, even at 32?

"It is nice to race again. You don't train for nothing of course, so I'm ready again. It's not exciting, but when you're 32 you know what to expect. I've done my job at the training and I know what's coming."

At Jumbo-Visma, you participated in the preparation for the Sierra Nevada, but you also spent additional days with Wout alone on the road (high up in the Swiss mountains). How was that?

"I was indeed on the Sierra Nevada with the boys, but it's not like it's a little bit harder with two. All in all, it's just super to train with those guys. The morale, the same attitude, the focus ... to train with all of them in that way is obviously very cool."

What is your ambition in the Tour of Switzerland?'

"I hope to finish well in the classification, maybe a place on the podium is not in it. It still depends a bit on exactly how well I come out of this training period. With Wout we also have goals, of course, to go for stage wins with him."

Is it a pity then that Remco Evenepoel joined? On paper, it was going to be an open battle for the GC, but now you actually suddenly have someone up there as a top favourite.

"It won't be easy for Remco to start again after Covid. That might take some time for him as well, I don't think he's going to win here 1,2,3."

There are also two time trials on the course. What are your expectations from those?

"I'm feeling pretty good on my time trial bike so far, so we'll see how it goes. I'm looking forward to it, though."

What are you looking forward to more: the Tour of Switzerland now, or the Tour de France in two weeks?

"Surely the Tour de France. That's the biggest race. But don't get me wrong: every big race is important, so this Tour of Switzerland certainly is too."

We take a brief look ahead to the Tour. Is it your goal to be someone who is held high for the classification as well?

"That's not the goal at all. I think it's clear that Jonas Vingegaard is really out-of-category."

While you are someone who has the potential to also be, say, fourth or fifth, and in that way attack competitors?

"But that's not the goal. I just have to do my job well in the mountains, that's the most important thing. Collectively coming out the strongest come out, that's the goal."

Tom van der Salm (Twitter: @TomvanderSalm) | email: t.vandersalm@indeleiderstrui.nl)