I didn't intend to post on this forum anymore, but there are too many untruths floating around here.
1/ Van Wilder IS still training, daily. But he's training with no goal in sight.
2/ Van Wilder has been biting his lip for months. The only time he has come forward about the issue, is through his instagram post last week. This was a direct response to the Wielerflits article. Wielerflits broke the story, Kemna responded, Van Wilder reacted. Stating he has been crying in the media is factually untrue.
3/ He was injured last year, he had been struggling with an ongoing knee injury and the team was well aware he would not be able, nor wanted to ride the Vuelta in that condition. This was not something that popped up at the eleventh hour as DSM claims.
4/ Van Wilder got no support from the team riding the Belgian NC ITT. His personal manager had to make sure he got the equipment he needed. In the article, Kemna now conveniently states that they decided it was no longer feasible for them to support their riders in NC's.
5/ DSM makes certain oral promises to riders before they sign a contract in good faith, which are not included in the actual contract.
6/ They had been changing his program all season. He was supposed to ride Tour de la Provence in February, but was taken off not long before. He then was going to ride Haut Var, but again they took him off the team. They made him wait until the second half of March, when he could finally ride... Nokere Koerse. They have been yanking his chain since last year's Vuelta and never gave him a clear or rational explanation why they were taking him out of all these races. He was also supposed to ride Tour de l'Ain, again they took him off the team. "His goals come later" ... but when that goal (Vuelta) came, they also stripped him of that.
7/ If Van Wilder were such a bad seed, as some here are willing to assume, then why don't DSM just cut him loose and recover his wages to put towards another rider? Clearly the marriage isn't going to work anymore, especially if you're assuming he is a troubleseeker. Why would you want to keep working with someone like that, and why would you assume he would fall in line all of a sudden. The truth is they are very aware Van Wilder isn't the problem, which is why they don't want to let him go and are now doing their best to convince him. DSM treats their riders like 7-year-olds. Or better, like 7-year-olds in a catholic boarding school in the 1950's. Van Wilder not riding the Vuelta now, is a direct result of that. He needed "to be disciplined".
8/ Van Wilder got a "10/10" on his physical report by the team.
I would also like to hear Kemna's explanation why, in a team ran by experts (dixit Kemna) why they have a performance manager, a rather crucial role, who is in fact not an expert at all. The reason why this person got that job might be the complete opposite of the "professionalism" the team claims to be upholding.