With two stage wins by Olav Kooij, Wout van Aert's spectacular victory in the 'mini Strade Bianche,' and the overall victory by Simon Yates, it was a Giro d'Italia to remember for Visma | Lease a Bike. But it wasn't just the three riders mentioned above who played a key role; Edoardo Affini, Dylan van Baarle, Steven Kruijswijk, Bart Lemmen, and Wilco Kelderman also played an important part in the first Grand Tour of the year. Lemmen and Kelderman look back on the team website. Kelderman has now competed in his eighteenth Grand Tour, but for the 34-year-old Dutchman, this victory is the most memorable. "I’ve experienced a lot in my career, but this Giro was unique. I won the Tour de France with Jonas Vingegaard and the Vuelta a España with Sepp Kuss, but I hold this Giro in very high regard. The atmosphere within the team was excellent. Everyone stayed extremely focused for three weeks, and we reaped the rewards of that."
For Lemmen, who is only in his second year as a professional, these were also three very special weeks. "Four years ago, turning professional still seemed like a distant dream. It’s special now to be able to say I’m part of a team that won a Grand Tour. That it happened in my second professional year feels surreal."
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Kelderman was an important domestique for Yates in the Giro
Kelderman will never forget Finestre
For the Dutchman, who was a professional soldier just a few years ago, one stage stood out: stage 15 towards Monte Grappa. "That stage stayed with me. I rode at the front all day, and I felt it was my best race ever. In that stage, I was still able to do useful work in the finale to keep some of Simon’s rivals at a distance. That was thrilling."
But then came the stage with the Colle delle Finestre, a stage that Kelderman will never forget. "I will never forget the climb of the Finestre. I was riding near Bart when we heard that Simon had a five-minute lead over his rivals for the overall win. We realised: we are going to win this Giro."
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Visma was at the start in a special kit
Lemmen saw the picture in Rome as "just perfect"
It was also a great moment for Lemmen. "It was a special moment. You hear snippets through your earpieces, but in the high mountains, communication with the team car and teammates often drops out. The real info came through the shouting fans along the roadside. ‘Simon has five minutes!’ they yelled. That feeling was unforgettable."
In the end, the Dutch team rode the final stage in special outfits – another unforgettable moment for the Dutchman. "It’s hard to put into words how it felt to ride through the streets of Rome. Our pink outfits, Simon’s pink bike, the fantastic surroundings...
everything was perfect. I look back on our achievement with great pride."