Wilco Kelderman (Belkin) was unable to match the best riders on the Alto do Malhao in the Volta ao Algarve queen stage but a solid ride moved him up to 5th in the overall standings. The young Dutchman was happy with his performance in what is the first race of his season.

Wilco Kelderman of the Belkin Pro Cycling Team continued well in the Volta ao Algarve. In the fourth stage of the Portuguese stage race, he placed 16th at 27 seconds from winner Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) and moved to fifth overall. Steven Kruijswijk placed one minute back.

"At the moment," Kelderman said, "I'm fifth in the GC and that's pretty good in my first race out."

The 164.5-kilometre stage finished with a kick up to 600 metres at Alto do Malhão. Contador won but Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) continues to control the overall classification.

"It was a hard stage but Omega Pharma and Tinkoff controlled the stage, we knew that Tinkoff-Saxo would do everything possible to put Contador in good position for the last climb," Sports Director Nico Verhoeven said. "That was our job, as well. We did it and Wilco was where he needed to be. He couldn't follow the best riders but he continued and moved up a place in the overall from sixth to fifth."

Kelderman, unlike Kwiatkowski, began his season with Algarve. Verhoeven explained that had he raced beforehand he would have been stronger already.

"So, we are not surprised he couldn't follow the best riders."

Team Belkin protected Kelderman throughout the day. Earlier on in the race, that responsibility went to Tom Leezer, Sep Vanmarcke and Maarten Wynants. Steven Kruijswijk and Bram Tankink arrived later in the stage.

"We made sure Wilco began every climb in the front," Leezer said. "We rode as a team to see that he was not caught in the back and losing important time."

The team rode the 35 kilometres back to the hotel together. Verhoeven said they worked the acid out of their muscles and rounded off the day to 200 kilometres. 

"Wilco was happy on the ride," Leezer continued. "This race was not his main goal. He's in the build up phase and the main goal is that he's in top shape for Paris-Nice."
 

The Volta ao Algarve peloton faces its fifth and final day in Vilamoura. The 155.8-kilometre stage should end in a bunch kick.

"It'll be a sprint for Mark Cavendish and Sacha Modolo. Belkin will work to protect Wilco's fifth place because the guys behind him are only three seconds back," Verhoeven said. "In the final, there are bonus sprints so we want to be alert. The sprint will be hard for us, though, because our sprinter Theo Bos is heading to Langkawi."