Wilco Kelderman will make his Amstel Gold Race debut on Sunday with a different plan. The Team LottoNL-Jumbo youngster would have liked to fight for a top result, but after catching the flu over the weekend, he understands that will be a difficult task.
 
“Wilco would like to get in the mix in the classics in the future and had it up to him, he would have done so this year already, but we need to lower our aims after last weekend,” Sports Director Merijn Zeeman said.
 
"Wilco isn’t at his best because of his illness. It’s a real bummer as he made the Amstel Gold Race a big goal this season. It’s still an important race for him, but maybe in another way now. Wilco would still love to show himself, but, just as important, he will do so to gain experience. In the classics experience is key.”
 
Kelderman is disappointed to be held back after the flu, but he looks optimistically towards the next Ardennes Classics.
 
“I’m still suffering from a little cold, so unfortunately, I’m not in a great shape,” Kelderman explained.
 
“That’s tragic because the level in Amstel is so high that you have to be one-hundred per cent. If you’re a few percentage points less, you just won’t able to compete.
 
“The last time things went good for me, but the Amstel Gold Race probably comes a bit too early now. You never know, though. Besides that, next week, I’ll be riding La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.”
 

Paul Martens proved that he is back on track in Wednesday’s Brabantse Pijl after his round with the flu at the beginning of the month. Zeeman is counting on the German with the fast legs on Sunday.
 
“Paul gained a lot of confidence by his eleventh place in the Brabantse Pijl. Besides that, he has shown that he can do well in Amstel in the past,” said Zeeman, referring to a tenth place in 2011.
 
“We have a lot of confidence in Paul. We will make a team effort to help him achieve a good result. A top ten is an appealing and ambitious goal.”
 
Above all, Zeeman wants to see his riders getting involved at the front on Sunday.
 
“The Amstel Gold Race is our home race. It’s an important race for our sponsors. We really want to show ourselves. We will work hard to make sure we do so.”
 
Team line-up:
Jos van Emden, Wilco Kelderman, Tom Leezer, Nick van der Lijke, Bert-Jan Lindeman, Paul Martens, Timo Roosen & Bram Tankink