"He’s in the same phase of life" - Visma teammate Kelderman praises Jonas Vingegaard's commitment to pro cycling
Cycling
Team Visma | Lease a Bike is a place in which performance is above everything, but where experience is also very valuable. Hence, the presence of Wilco Kelderman is key to the development of young riders and also for support of its leaders - someone who follows Jonas Vingegaard closely and praises him.
“Times have changed. When I was young, I chose a team based on trust. Nowadays they’re working on it so early, and before they’re even juniors they practically already know they’ll become pro — and even which team they’ll join," Kelderman said in words to IDLProCycling. "Teams like Red Bull and UAE obviously have a lot to spend too".
Now 34 years old, the Dutchman sees it very differently than from when he was a young rider. “When I was young, I was already doing a lot of things the same way the young guys do now. But I don’t think I always did it in the right way. When I was 24, I really opened up and realized I had to enjoy it more.” Ultimately, that has led to the longevity he has in the peloton, having turned pro back in 2012.
“That became the foundation, but still with the idea that you want to get everything out of it. That’s what I tell the young guys too: don’t forget you’re doing this because you enjoy it, and try not to stare at your Garmin all the time.”
Visma's strictness
With the flurry of retirements, departures and also comments from former riders, it has become obvious that the training and preparation culture in Visma is more strict than other teams. Whilst that fits some well, it does not for others and it leads to a difficult situation for a few riders.
“You zoom out more. If I talk to my coach now, or with Grischa, it’s more about the team than about myself. It’s not necessarily about me anymore in this team, but more about the culture we have". However, the sudden retirement of Simon Yates and potential retirement of former cyclocross World Champion Fem van Empel may have struck the team very hard; whilst just this week Jonas Vingegaard's long-time coach Tim Heemskerk has also left the team.
“We have an open and direct culture. Everyone is fairly close to each other, and that’s important. The atmosphere is good, positive, and at the same time very professional. And there are so many people working at this team that there’s always someone you can go to.”
Relationship with Jonas Vingegaard
After preparation for the season start, which for him happens at the UAE Tour, Kelderman had good feedback. “The first part of the season is mainly about riding for others, but maybe towards the end of the year I’ll get my own chances again," he adds too. "That’s still fun too: being in those finales yourself. Compared to a few years ago, the top is a lot broader now — you really notice that many more teams and riders are operating at a higher level.”
That is not by chance. "There has definitely been a shift in approach. You spend more d1ays away from home, the build-ups are longer, and everything is much more intense in terms of training and nutrition. As you get older, it’s harder to be away. My kids are seven and one-and-a-half now, so they’ll notice it too. But the motivation is still there to train hard, eat well, and all that.”
Kelderman is in a very specific place in life, but is not the only one at Visma. In Wout van Aert and Jonas Vingegaard for example, he has two teammates who also have two small children and have to fit the professional with the personal life in a similar way.
“It’s something I talk about with Jonas as well, because he’s in the same phase of life. Doing everything right just costs a lot of energy — and that’s what makes being a pro cyclist so demanding. I can switch off sometimes and let things go a bit, but Jonas can’t do that," he adds. "The camera is on him straight away. You sometimes hear people say: those guys have big contracts and earn loads. But it doesn’t work like that.”
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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