"It gave me goosebumps" - Wilco Kelderman reacts to the news that he will wear Rabobank jerseys again after 14 years
Cycling
The exciting news of Rabobank's return to the highest level of cycling spread like a fire. One of the most iconic orange jerseys from 2000s and early 2010s might return to peloton with Visma | Lease a Bike, whom Rabobank joins this summer as a jersey sponsor.
Two weeks ago, Wilco Kelderman heard for the first time that Rabobank would once again become one of the team's sponsors. For the Dutch cyclist who grew up cheering on the men in orange kits, and later even briefly raced for Rabobank it is a special moment: "Very special. Most people didn't expect this, of course. For me, it's extra special. It was a real goosebump moment when I heard that Rabobank would once again become a sponsor," he told Wieler Revue.
His thoughts immediately went to the beginning of his career. "All kinds of memories came flooding back into my head. You start thinking about where it's going to end. Are we going to go back to a Dutch national team like it used to be? How is it going to develop in the end? In the past, many cyclists cycled in a Rabobank shirt and I always thought that was great."
The bank was one of the reasons Kelderman became attached to cycling. "As a young boy I watched television and saw Boogerd and Dekker winning Tour de France stages. Rabobank... I looked up to that team. The team was an inspiration to me. It became a dream to ride around in that shirt."
Kelderman is in the last year of his contract so with Rabobank coming on-board only half-way through 2025, he might get to wear the new jersey just a couple times. Although he himself hopes that he'll have more than few chances to reminiscent. "It would be a shame if I could only ride a few races in that new outfit. The talks for contract extension are ongoing and I hope that we can come to clarity soon. If it were up to me, I would stay with this team."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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