Wilco Kelderman has added another year to his contract with Rabobank, which will keep him at the Dutch WorldTour team through 2014. The 21-year-old from Amersfoort is yet another product of Rabobank’s under-23 Continental team, and successfully made the step up to the top level this year. As a neo-pro he had signed a two-year contract - which is required under International Cycling Union (UCI) regulations - and was already contracted through 2013, but this new deal adds another year to that.
In 2011, Kelderman’s second year at Continental level, the young Dutchman won both the Tour of Norway, and the Thüringen-Rundfahrt, and also won the prologue of the Tour de l’Ain - where he came up against WorldTour teams - and led the race for two days. The highlight of his season in the ProTeam so far has been a four-month purple patch in May and June, where he finished seventh overall in the Tour of California, and eighth overall in the Critérium du Dauphiné; winning the young riders classification in both.
"Last year I moved up from the continental team to the pro team,” said the 21-year-old. “The first half of the year was all about settling in, but I've been well taken care of and now feel super comfortable. The Rabobank Cycling Team is the biggest team in the Netherlands - I'm very happy to be riding for them. This extension expresses a lot of faith - that is good for me."
After his California and Dauphiné performances - particularly his fourth place in the Dauphiné time trial - Rabobank’s technical director Erik Breukink is understandably pleased to have secured Kelderman for an extra year.
"Wilco is a talent that we are keen to help advance in his development,” he said. “He's already shown some nice results on the road, but he's still at the beginning of his career.
“We are happy that he has chosen to extend his stay with us."