Motivated Wilco Kelderman on leading Visma at Tour de Suisse, Giro frustration & Tour de France hopes

Wilco Kelderman is already back in action for Visma | Lease a Bike. The 35-year-old Dutchman crashed heavily during the opening weekend of the Giro d'Italia. He fought through the pain for a day and a half, but it later turned out he had been riding with a broken collarbone. Following a swift recovery period, Kelderman spoke to IDL PRO Cycling and AD in the mixed zone during the Tour de Suisse team presentation. And he's already eyeing new objectives.

Kelderman actually made his competitive return back on 10 June at the Circuit Franco-Belge, where he aimed to challenge for the victory alongside Matthew Brennan. With 70 kilometres remaining, Kelderman went on the attack and sustained his effort for 55 kilometres. Although it ultimately came down to a bunch sprint in Belgium, the veteran rider proved his legs were already turning over well.

This comes after a very heavy crash in the Giro, which left Kelderman badly grazed and with a fracture. The incident occurred during the second stage, a now-notorious pile-up on a wet corner in Bulgaria that also brought down a large portion of UAE Team Emirates-XRG. Kelderman got back on his bike but eventually abandoned the race after completing stages 2 and 3.

"We weren't entirely sure if anything was wrong, and it was only back in Italy that the fracture came to light. At that point, we said: 'This isn't safe, we're going home,'" he said, briefly recapping his Giro abandonment. Kelderman ultimately proved to be the sole retirement for Visma | Lease a Bike, as the remaining seven riders guided Jonas Vingegaard to overall victory.

"I'm feeling good," Kelderman noted on Tuesday evening after being presented with Visma | Lease a Bike for the five-day Tour de Suisse stage race. "It bothered me for a while and it remains sensitive and painful, but on the whole, things are fine now. I'm aiming for a good general classification here, to see where I can finish. We're going into it with an open mind and we'll see what happens."

Jørgen Nordhagen proved slightly stronger at this year's UAE Tour, while Kelderman rode in support of Vingegaard at Paris-Nice. He was then forced to miss the Volta a Catalunya due to illness, making this opportunity to lead the team in Switzerland a welcome prospect. "It's quite nice, actually. When you have a strong leader, it's rewarding to ride for them. But if you have good legs and get the opportunity, you have to give it a go."

Kelderman kept his responses short and punchy. The Dutchman appeared highly motivated but also clearly fired up. This is hardly surprising, given that while Kelderman was sidelined at home, he had to watch his teammates secure Giro d'Italia success with Vingegaard. "That's always painful. I was incredibly motivated and felt in great shape. Having had very little opportunity to show what I could do all year, it was definitely frustrating that it didn't work out."

As with his numerous previous crashes, it was simply a matter of picking himself up, recovering, and moving forward. With the Tour de Suisse underway, Kelderman could still have some major goals on the horizon for the remainder of 2026. "Nothing has changed regarding my schedule so far; we will map that out after the Tour de Suisse."

Nonetheless, it is entirely possible that we will see the climber in action at the Tour de France this summer. Visma | Lease a Bike are currently seeking a replacement for the sidelined Wout van Aert, and Kelderman confirmed on Tuesday evening that he cannot book any holidays just yet. "I'm on the reserve list for the Tour, so if someone drops out, I might still have to go there," he stated.

He did not seem overly anxious about the situation, though the tension may rise following the news surrounding Van Aert. "It also depends on who exactly were to drop out," he said, explaining his role as a reserve. "I've trained well and I'm in good shape, but the Tour isn't really on my mind right now."