Cian Uijtdebroeks is not only getting to know new teammates at Visma-Lease a Bike. The young Belgian has already shared the peloton with Wilco Kelderman at BORA-hansgrohe in 2022. A year before Uijtdebroeks, Kelderman made the same transfer to the Dutch team.
In the podcast De Rode Lantaarn, Kelderman addressed all the stories circulating about Uijtdebroeks in recent weeks. “I never raced with Cian, but I participated in a Training Camp with him. I saw a very motivated kid who wants to reach the top as quickly as possible. There’s nothing wrong with that,” he said.
“Working with an entire team being so young is not easy: communicating with men in their 30s or 40s who have been cycling for 20 years. I’m not saying he brought new ideas; he just wanted a better structure to bring out the best in himself. Things like nutrition, training, and rest are essential.”
“It’s true that these things happened less at BORA than at Jumbo,” Kelderman continues. “But you can also see that in the results. I think Jumbo is ahead of most teams, not just BORA. So, I think his transfer to Visma-Lease a Bike is a good choice for Cian.”
Bullying in the German team
One of the reasons cited for Uijtdebroeks’ departure is said to be the culture of intimidation at BORA-hansgrohe. “It’s simply about an ambitious kid who wants to reach the top quickly,” Kelderman dismisses these rumors.
“The guys just make jokes. An 18-year-old can still be a bit insecure or sensitive. Then he interacts with men who are 30 or 35, who have been in the peloton for years. I don’t think there was real bullying; I was sad to read that,” Kelderman expressed.
