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Follow us on GoogleSuch a loyal domestique as Wilco Kelderman is something many general classification riders can only dream of. The Dutchman from Visma | Lease a Bike is once again preparing to support his leaders as well as possible this year, with Jonas Vingegaard above all in 2026. The experienced rider looked ahead to what is to come after a winter of training that was different from usual.
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At 34, Kelderman is one of the veterans at Visma | Lease a Bike, the team he is now riding for in his fourth consecutive season. By now, the preparations are very familiar to him. “I had a good winter. I didn’t get sick and I was able to do everything. That means you go into the season with a good feeling,” he told AD.
There was, however, one major difference compared with previous winters. “We started training differently: harder. Nutrition is better, more intensity, and really taking that extra step,” Kelderman explained. “We’re doing slightly more sessions just above endurance pace. Harder blocks, more intensity, and slightly fewer really long rides. I do like that really hard training.”
According to the Dutchman, all of that serves one purpose only. “The goal this season is simple: win races with Jonas. Get him into position as well as possible, keep him out of trouble, and, for example, win a team time trial.” For that job, Kelderman sees himself as a reliable piece of the puzzle. “I think I’m a domestique he can always count on.”
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“Cycling is much more of a team sport than people sometimes think”
The rider from Barneveld also sees similarities with his Danish leader. “I have a lot of experience by now, and we’re also a bit in the same phase of life, both with young children. We understand each other well. We often don’t need many words. I used to ride for general classification myself, so I know exactly what a leader needs.”
And the fact that Vingegaard, who recently looked hugely impressive at Paris–Nice, still has a few boxes left to tick is obvious to Kelderman. “He wants to win all three Grand Tours. He has often followed the same build-up to the Tour, so he is also looking for new stimuli again,” Kelderman said of the somewhat atypical preparation Vingegaard is using for the Tour de France this year, with the Dane set to ride the Giro d’Italia for the first time.
So, being the perfect helper for Vingegaard, is that all there is to it now? “I’m one of the older riders in the team these days, and I get a lot of energy from helping others. But nowadays it’s not that simple: you still need the legs yourself to do that job properly,” Kelderman said realistically.
That also suggests the rider from Barneveld has now definitively put aside any ambitions of winning for himself, if any were still there. Kelderman does not sound disappointed about that in the slightest. “If a teammate can win and I have to sacrifice myself, I do that with love. In the end, cycling is much more of a team sport than people sometimes think,” was his conclusion.
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Latest Comments
- Why would a mountain time trial be different from a normal one? Is it just that the riders have to climb the whole course?samanthak03-11-2026
- I don’t quite buy the “fear of failure” argument. Riders can race the Giro and still have confidence in July; it comes down to recovery and planning, doesn’t it?patriciaw03-11-2026
- The Giro-Tour double is a massive ask, even for the very best. Pogačar made it look almost routine in 2024, but that’s hardly a sensible benchmark for everyone else!pedalpowe2903-11-2026
- Bakelants makes a fair point: if the 2027 Tour really suits Remco, he can’t afford to dilute the build-up. That 37km flat TT will be tempting, mind.julien03-11-2026
- Mont Blanc sounds like a spectacular finish, though four climbs on the final day might be a bit much after eight hard stages. Hope the route details are clear soon.raceready703-11-2026
- Is the Valdigne time trial uphill all the way, or are there flatter sections too? I’m still figuring out how these stages work.jennifer1903-11-2026
- Three sprint chances, then all that climbing? The GC battle should really take shape after Passo San Marco. Can’t wait!robert6503-11-2026
- Finishing on the same day the men race Stage 20 is a nice touch, but I hope the women’s race gets plenty of coverage too.pedalpowe2903-11-2026
- Three mountain finishes and an uphill time trial—this route looks tailor-made for Vollering. That final stage to Mont Blanc could be brutal.cadencekingm03-11-2026
- Seixas has said he’s bored with the transfer talk, so maybe the article could give more space to the racing itself. He’s under contract until 2027; there’s no need to turn every appearance into a signing saga.velodromevirtuoso103-11-2026