Wilco Kelderman has signed for Bora-Hansroghe on a two-year deal. The Dutchman joins the team after spending the last four years at Sunweb.
The 29-year-old was told earlier in the season that he would not be offered a new deal at his current squad and he was rumoured to prefer a return to Jumbo-Visma but Bora-Hansgrohe made their move and see Kelderman as a vital part of their Grand Tour plans in the future.
He finished fourth in the Vuelta a España in 2017, and seventh in the Giro d’Italia back in 2014 but injuries have set him back in recent years.
"I am really looking forward to this new challenge,” Kelderman said in a press release issued by his future team.
“After the first few meetings with the coaches and management team, it became clear to me that this is exactly the right step for me. I quickly gained the confidence that a partnership with Bora-Hansgrohe would provide me with new incentives at this stage of my career. The entire group - riders, performance team and management – provides the perfect environment for me to put on my best performances, and I’m happy to support the team in its future journeys."
Kelderman came through the ranks as part of the Rabobank Continental team in 2010 before graduating to their WorldTour programme two years later. He made the switch to Sunweb at the start of 2017 and although he failed to finish the Giro d’Italia that year, he bounced back to claim his best stage racing result at the Vuelta a España.
His Grand Tour record since then has been inconsistent, with another two top-10 results at the Vuelta, but injuries have held him back at several key points. In 2019, Kelderman missed the Giro d’Italia due to a crash at the Tour of Catalunya that resulted in a broken left collarbone and neck vertebrae.
Bora-Hansgrohe have already announced the signing of Nils Politt from Isreal Start-Up Nation but Kelderman adds steel and experience to a stage racing core that already includes Emanuel Buchmann, Lennard Kämna, and Maximilian Schachmann.
"Wilco is a rider with enormous potential. Our task over the next few years will be to consistently bring out this potential on the road. He is the ideal age for this, and will certainly be a real asset," said team manager Ralph Denk.
