Kielich switches from Van der Poel to Van Aert and shares first impressions at Visma | Lease a Bike

Timo Kielich will start his season on Saturday at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. The Belgian, who has joined from Alpecin, is set to play an important role for Visma | Lease a Bike in the spring. In the Classics, he will be tasked with supporting his teammate Wout van Aert — alongside Matthew Brennan and Christophe Laporte — helping to guide them into key positions when the racing explodes. Kielich introduced himself via his new team’s website.

“Wout and I started doing a few training rides together when I signed with the team. He’s just a normal guy, and we get along well. When I finish my career one day, it will be quite special to say that I worked with both Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert.”

Kielich immediately got a good impression of the team at his first training camp. "Everyone here is very focused on ‘Blanco Koers.’ The culture is everything. That makes it a very nice and safe environment to be in, because everything is clear. We know what to expect from each other, and that feels really good."

“I never did anything other than cycling. I loved it right away, especially the downhills. I would always take risks and push myself to go as fast as possible. I could go wherever I wanted, and that gave me a lot of joy and motivation for the sport,” said the Belgian, who has a background in mountain biking and later made the move to cyclo-cross and eventually the road.

At Alpecin, the 26-year-old rider developed excellently in recent years, with wins in the Antwerp Port Epic, Volta NXT Classic and a stage in the Tour Wallonie. “My favorite races are the spring classics, especially Paris–Roubaix. I love the history of the races, and I remember watching Johan Museeuw and Tom Boonen ride them when I was young."

"They suit me quite well too, as I’m neither a pure sprinter nor a climber, but I can do a bit of both and I can use my technical skills in this type of race. If I could choose just one race to win, it would be Roubaix," said Kielich, who is at his beck and call with Visma | Lease a Bike: he is on it from Omloop to Roubaix.