The impressive performance of the entire Sunweb formation, the team he will exchange for Bora-hansgrohe next year, strengthens his confidence in a good outcome. Kelderman: “We are the strongest block. If you look at the other classification riders, we are the strongest block uphill. Nibali doesn’t have many riders left, neither does Fuglsang.”
‘Another week to suffer a full house’
Kelderman says he has not yet suffered from stress or pressure now that the overall victory beckons. “I feel pretty calm and just watch it from day to day.”
Finally luck seems to be smiling at him. It has certainly not gone smoothly in his career so far. Although Kelderman was given great opportunities as a classification rider at a young age, numerous injuries made it impossible for him to keep that promise in recent years. These days in Italy, however, everything seems to be falling into place.
He himself mainly remains sober. “Until now it is all going well, I do my best and get everything out of it. It is still a week full of suffering and then we’ll see what it is in Milan.”
All the little aches and pains are gone
Now that he’s not plagued by injuries or aches and pains, he can fully focus on the race. “In recent years I always came back from an injury,” says Kelderman. “I always had problems with my back, my neck or it radiated to my buttocks. Little aches and pains everywhere.”
Fortunately, they are nowhere to be seen this year, so Kelderman was able to prepare well for the Giro. You could say from unlucky to lucky. “You can see it that way, yes”, he says with a laugh. “It would be very nice.”
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