Kelderman soloes to Dutch road title – insists replacing Affini at the Tour is 'out of the question'
Wilco Kelderman took victory in the hotly contested elite men's road race at the Dutch national championships, soloing clear of a very strong lead group to take his first win in over a decade.
"This is a wonderful feeling. It has been a long time since I last won a road race, I think since my U23 days," Kelderman told NOS at the finish, after adding a fifth win to his all-TT palmarès. "I have won a time trial before, but never in a way like this. It had to happen eventually. You know, of course, it doesn't always come this easily. This was the day.”
Kelderman has had a rollercoaster season so far, exclusively riding in service of others, with the most notable event of 2026 his involvement in the mass crash at the Giro d'Italia. After completing the Tour de Suisse, the veteran climbing domestique headed to his eighth national championships with an open brief at the head of a young Visma-Lease a Bike team also comprising Tijmen Graat, Menno Huising and Loe van Belle.
This victory proves he's made a strong return to form, which would appear to be good news for his team which is currently faced with a dilemma surrounding Edoardo Affini's fitness to start the Tour after he suffered a heavy crash at the Italian ITT national champs. However, when asked if his new jersey might be seen in France, Kelderman replied, "I certainly hope not! I haven't actually prepared for the Tour. I am in good shape, but the guys who have been working on the Tour for months are ready for it ... I will probably be seen in the champion's jersey for the first time in the Tour of Poland.”
Should Affini be unable to race the Tour, the presumed substitute is Bart Lemmen who completed the Giro alongside Jonas Vingegaard. Lemmen was reportedly withdrawn from the national championships by Visma-Lease a Bike out of an abundance of caution while awaiting news of the Italian's recovery.