Team Giant-Alpecin is extremely proud to announce that Wilco Kelderman (NED) has signed a two-year contract with the team, boosting its overall classification power. Following Michael Matthews (AUS), Kelderman is recognized as the second big rider signing to its significantly strengthened roster for 2017 and beyond.
With Kelderman, Team Giant-Alpecin adds one of the most promising talents in the pro peloton. Having signed the hugely talented Sam Oomen (NED) last year, who has already shown strong results at the Critérium International and the Tour de l’Ain in his first year as a professional, along with the recently announced former World junior time trial champion Lennard Kämna (GER) and Australian U23 champion Chris Hamilton, Team Giant-Alpecin continues to attract the world's best of class promising riders with great potential.
The 25-year-old Dutchman Wilco Kelderman will become an important rider for the one-week WorldTour stage races and Grand Tours, having his own chance at one of the Grand Tours. He's already recorded top results at the highest level at his young age, including winning the Tour of Denmark, 3rd at the Eneco Tour, 4th at the Critérium du Dauphine, 7th at the Giro d’Italia and 5th at the Tour de Romandie. He's proven time and again to be a genuine up-and-coming rider to aim for the general classifications in the biggest stage races.
About his move to the team, Kelderman said: “I am very pleased to join Team Giant-Alpecin, taking the next step in my career. The team allows me to grow towards a role as a leader for the Grand Tours, using a gradual approach. They are successful with their philosophy, with an emphasis on science and technology, like the focus on being experts in time trial performance, for example. I can learn from the experience they have, as well as from guys like Tom [Dumoulin] and Michael [Matthews], who are from the same generation and having paved the road for me.”
Movement scientist, Adriaan Helmantel (NED) gave his reaction to this new signing: “We are delighted to sign Wilco. He has huge GC potential with strong TT and climbing skills, and he's already raced to seventh at the Giro at the super young age of 23, showing there's a large margin to keep growing. We believe he has the qualities to become a very good GC rider and we will take time and an easy approach to gradually make the best out of his abilities.”