Kelderman noticed a different Visma winter preparation: “Really taking that extra step”
CyclingThursday, 19 March 2026 at 08:59
Such 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.”
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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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