"It's unique to have ridden with the two greatest Classics riders": Timo Kielich moves on from Van der Poel to Van Aert

As has become a tradition, we have not see much of the Visma | Lease a Bike yellow jerseys in the early months of the season, however this weekend, the bees will be ready to strike at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad - the first race on the very important spring block. The main cards of the Dutch team are going to be Wout Van Aert, Christophe Laporte and youngster Matthew Brennan, but newcomer Timo Kielich will be looking to hit the ground running in his debut Visma start.

"I hope to take another step forward next year in the classics and the Grand Tours, so I can get a little stronger every year. I'm 26 now, so my best years are still ahead of me," Kielich tells WielerFlits.

Kielich is far from Visma's only recruitment this past winter in what was seen as a turbulent window for one of the world's best teams. Whether the team has made good or bad strategic moves on the market remains to be seen as time passes, but it's clear that the departures of Olav Kooij, Tiesj Benoot or the retirement of the 2026 Giro d'Italia champion Simon Yates can't be immediately patched up by the arrivals of Davide Piganzoli, Louis Barré or Kielich.

"I don't think Visma | Lease a Bike has necessarily weakened, but has experienced a rejuvenation. Guys like me probably need to inject some new momentum," Kielich analyzes.

Despite his undeniable qualities, it's taken until the age of 25 for Kielich to be brought up to WorldTour from Alpecin-Deceuninck's development team. Since then, Kielich's role remained mostly unchanged - a reliable helper for Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen at the biggest Classics, and a reliable leader for smaller races such as Volta NXT Classic (2024) or Antwerp Port Epic (2025) - his two professional victories in the Alpecin jersey.

Moving on from one Classics powerhouse to another, Kielich is ready to take on a similar job, this time in the services of Wout Van Aert and Matthew Brennan:

"It will be similar to what I did at Alpecin-Deceuninck, so mainly positioning ourselves and then putting the team in a position in the pre-final where we never have to ride from the back, only at the front. That's a good position for both me and the leaders," says Kielich.

The Belgian will ride almost exclusively the major classics this spring, skipping the smaller 1.1 races where he often excels. "So as not to overdo it. That way, I stay fresh for the major classics, without the Ename Samyn Classic, GP de Denain, or Dwars Door Vlaanderen."

"The will to win is immense, I see that in both of them," he says. "They both work incredibly hard, and their goal is to win every race they start. That also makes them among the best riders of their generation. I don't think Mathieu holds many secrets for Wout. But when I look back on my own career, it will be unique to have ridden with perhaps the two greatest Classics riders in the team. That's something wonderful to boast about."