"He’s in the same phase of life" - Visma teammate Kelderman praises Jonas Vingegaard's commitment to pro 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.”

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.”

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.”