Wilco Kelderman’s (Team Belkin) Bianchi Oltre XR2(Image credit: Sam Dansie/BikeRadar)
Shimano Dura-Ace 9000 brakes have been lauded for their stopping power(Image credit: Sam Dansie/BikeRadar)
The Oltre XR2 has a very defined hourglass-shaped head tube(Image credit: Sam Dansie/BikeRadar)
Bladed spokes on the Shimano Dura-Ace C50 wheels(Image credit: Sam Dansie/BikeRadar)
The mount for Kelderman's Pioneer head unit(Image credit: Sam Dansie/BikeRadar)
The Bianchi Oltre XR2: it’'s got Kelderman’s name on it(Image credit: Sam Dansie/BikeRadar)
Kelderman uses a San Marco Concor Team saddle(Image credit: Sam Dansie/BikeRadar)
Standard aluminium twisted dossard holders for Belkin riders(Image credit: Sam Dansie/BikeRadar)
Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 front derailleur(Image credit: Sam Dansie/BikeRadar)
A pair of Tacx Uma Carbon bidon cages(Image credit: Sam Dansie/BikeRadar)
Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 levers looking neat(Image credit: Sam Dansie/BikeRadar)
A Pioneer power meter in the Shimano Dura-Ace cranks(Image credit: Sam Dansie/BikeRadar)
Kelderman carried over the 11-28 cassette from yesterday’s medium mountain stage to Col du Béal(Image credit: Sam Dansie/BikeRadar)
The bike was shod in Vittoria Corsa SC tyres(Image credit: Sam Dansie/BikeRadar)
Neat cable ports next to the Bianchi badge(Image credit: Sam Dansie/BikeRadar)
A couple of steerer spacers and short stem on Kelderman’s cockpit(Image credit: Sam Dansie/BikeRadar)
FSA provides Team Belkin with bars and stems – in this case a 110mm stem and 420mm wide bars(Image credit: Sam Dansie/BikeRadar)
Kelderman's shoe-worn crank(Image credit: Sam Dansie/BikeRadar)
Wilco Kelderman has been touted as the next star of Dutch cycling. The label usually comes attached to a big bag of public expectation, but the 23-year-old Belkin rider appears to be carrying it lightly this season. He took seventh at the Giro d'Italia in May – only his second grand tour – and is currently third at the Critérium du Dauphiné where he was almost able to match the pace of Chris Froome (Team Sky) and Alberto Contador (Tinkoff Saxo-Bank) up the slopes of the Col de Béal yesterday.
Kelderman is riding the very stiff Bianchi Oltre XR2, an all-round race bike in a standard team setup. That means Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 throughout, FSA components and, for him, a San Marco saddle tipped slightly forward.
The frame – ridden by most of the team’s stage race group – is a size 57cm. The frame is designed to be as stiff as possible, but there are some nods to comfort: the Oltre XR2 is built with slim seatstays to reduce road vibration and reduce weight without losing power transfer.
Kelderman is built in the Dutch mould – tall and very slender – meaning most of the kit sizes are on the lengthy side too – especially concerning leg measurements. Saddle to the centre of the bottom bracket is 788mm for example.
The bike, though an all-rounder, makes a significant nod to aerodynamics. Cables are internally routed and the front end's sculpted tapered head tube keeps frontal area to a minimum.
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Sam started as a trainee reporter on daily newspapers in the UK before moving to South Africa where he contributed to national cycling magazine Ride for three years. After moving back to the UK he joined Procycling as a staff writer in November 2010.
