Although he may not be going to the
Tour de France as GC leader of
Jumbo-Visma like he was at the
Tour de Suisse,
Wilco Kelderman's performances in Switzerland mean he will be going to France to support Jonas Vingegaard, high on confidence.
"'I can be satisfied with my condition and my performance. It also felt good in today's time trial. I was able to find a good rhythm and keep my pace," said Kelderman to the Jumbo-Visma website, following the conclusion of the final stage, one in which he finished 12th on the day, rising to 4th overall in the general classification. "There are still some points for improvement, but I must say that I am starting to ride better and better.”
The 2023 Tour de Suisse will of course, be remembered for all the wrong reasons after the tragic crash that took the life of Gino Mäder. "It's all been very hard the last few days," says Kelderman. “Because of all the events you don't really feel or want to go very deep. You don't really have your mind on it.”
Nevertheless, he reiterates that his legs feel good and he heads to the Tour de France high on confidence. “I managed to ride a good classification and that was also the goal. I was able to participate every day and towards the end it even improved a bit," he says. "As a result, I am going to the Tour de France with a lot of confidence.”