Teams & Riders The official Wilco Kelderman is the new Merckx-thread

[Dazed and Confused]

Drop the GC at the Vuelta and target a couple of stages instead please.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Does not have the form of the Giro or Dauphine and appears to be a bit tired to me.

Should either save energy a couple of stages and see how it goes. Or if it doesn't go better after that drop out and call it a day. If you push too much you could destroy yourself for 2/3 seasons like young Kreuziger did

 

[ILovecycling]

Does not have the form of the Giro or Dauphine and appears to be a bit tired to me.

Should either save energy a couple of stages and see how it goes. Or if it doesn't go better after that drop out and call it a day. If you push too much you could destroy yourself for 2/3 seasons like young Kreuziger did

or forever,like lovkvist.

 

[pablohidalgo7]

Hi, it is the first time that I write but i have been reading since long time, I'm a rabo/belkin fan, and wilco is of course my favorite rider since the dauphine in 2012.To be honest I expected more for kelderman today in a not very steep climb, probably if would be better for him to try to go for a stage win, but belkin directors always prefer a top 10 spot, and in the trime trial he coul get into that top 10 place.

 

[pablohidalgo7]

Nice 3rd place for wilco, but he was suffering a lot in the climb, tomorrow he will finish around 15 spot like in al the mountain stages.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

It's still nice to finish 3rd with bad legs and only average form
Besides, when Majka was 7th in the Giro 2013, he was only 19th in the Vuelta 2013. And Majka was a year older than Kelderman now.

So he isn't doing that bad. Most people suffer in their 2nd GT. Hell even Nibali a few years back was a lot worse in the Vuelta than in the Giro (ofcourse last year with more experience it was different).
Not anybody is like Aru who can seemingly do it effortlessly

 

[pablohidalgo7]

I agree with you dekker tifosi the consistency of wilco is admirable. Aru is older than wilco, I think that he will be better than wilco in steep climbs, but i believe that wilco have more chances than fabio in a tour de france parcours with a 50 km time trial and climbs like the galibier.

 

[Der Effe]

Kelderman raced like 3000km more than Aru this year. That's quite a lot.

 

[May0maniac]

I agree with you dekker tifosi the consistency of wilco is admirable. Aru is older than wilco, I think that he will be better than wilco in steep climbs, but i believe that wilco have more chances than fabio in a tour de france parcours with a 50 km time trial and climbs like the galibier.

Yeah, Wilco should have a better chance in a normal tdf, Aru would need a favourable route to have a real chance. I still think both guys will be better than Majka.

 

[pablohidalgo7]

He is not improving, I expected more of wilco in today climb, tomorrow he should try to get into the breakway.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Had he saved himself on other days, he might have battled with Niemiec for the stage win here.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Ofcourse he is not improving. He is stil more or less the same as in Utah. The difference with Anacona for example in day results is similar. In Utah Anacona was slightly better some days and slightly worse other days. Vuelta follows same pattern. There's just a bunch of other guys here who are in much better shape.

Kelderman is riding a bit like Majka last year. 7th in the Giro and 15th in the Vuelta now. Majka was 7th and 19th.
Think he had a bit too much race days between Giro and Vuelta to be top.

 

[May0maniac]

Ofcourse he is not improving. He is stil more or less the same as in Utah. The difference with Anacona for example in day results is similar. In Utah Anacona was slightly better some days and slightly worse other days. Vuelta follows same pattern. There's just a bunch of other guys here who are in much better shape.

Kelderman is riding a bit like Majka last year. 7th in the Giro and 15th in the Vuelta now. Majka was 7th and 19th.
Think he had a bit too much race days between Giro and Vuelta to be top.

Yeah, he seems to be a little bit overraced, let's just hope that he won't end up being totally burned out after the season ends, 2 gts and so many race days seem to be a little bit to much for a rider of his age.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Also, most top 10 rankings in an UCI race without winning:

26 - Wilco Kelderman
25 - Domenico Pozzovivo
25 - Michael van Staeyen
24 - Damiano Caruso

Says enough about Wilco this season. And even in average form he managed a 4th and 3rd place in stages this Vuelta.

 

[pablohidalgo7]

He still has chances to try for a stage win, the stage of monte castrove could be good for him if the favourites don't go for the win, or even the last day in the short time trial, but perhaps he will be very tired at the end of the vuelta.

 

[pablohidalgo7]

What happened with wilco today, he was in the group after san lorenzo, and at the end of tbe downhill, suddenly he has lost contact with ten dam.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I'm not sure. I thought he had a flat or something, but the Belkin report says nothing. It was weird for sure. He was there at the top of the climb and for most of the downhill.

If he hung on the flat part he would've lost way less time.

 

[pablohidalgo7]

Yes I also think that he had a mechanical problem, and then the group started the last climb and wilco was not far behind but he was so tired to come back, it is a pity he could be now between 12-13 in the gc because in san lorenzo he looks more or less like navarro

 

[Jagartrott]

I really think they shouldn't have let him ride this Vuelta - or not like this anyway (rather: go stage-hunting like Majka).

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Majka did exactly the same as Kelderman in last years Vuelta and finished worse (19th), but he was a lot stronger this year.

So it is not necessarily bad to let a young guy ride a GT in normal form.

 

[l.Harm]

Except when clinical issues are involved.

 

[Afrank]

It's a good idea for him to ride IMO. Gives him experience of riding two GT's in a year. Might have been able to find a little more success riding for stages, but either way works IMO.

 

[Flamin]

Majka did exactly the same as Kelderman in last years Vuelta and finished worse (19th), but he was a lot stronger this year.

So it is not necessarily bad to let a young guy ride a GT in normal form.

Majka took a break after the Giro, Kelderman the complete opposite.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Majka took a break after the Giro, Kelderman the complete opposite.

Don't exaggerate. He rode the Dauphine and the dutch championships, then had over 1,5 month rest. Then rode Utah. That's 3 whole races

 

[pablohidalgo7]

Wilco did better today that in previous days, tomorrow a perfect time trial for him, has any chance to save the belkin partcipation in this vuelta taking the victory?
At least he will end in 14 spot, caruso is the worst time trialist of the peloton