Last Sunday, the streets of Rome turned pink in honour of Simon Yates’ overall victory. The Briton’s victory was the result of a collective masterclass. Two indispensable links in Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s successful Giro story were Wilco Kelderman and Bart Lemmen.  

For Kelderman, it was his eighteenth Grand Tour in his career, but according to the 34-year-old Dutchman, this victory ranks among the most special. “I’ve experienced a lot in my career, but this Giro was unique. In 2023, I won the Tour de France with Jonas Vingegaard and the Vuelta a España with Sepp Kuss, but I hold this Giro in very high regard. The atmosphere within the team was excellent. Everyone stayed extremely focused for three weeks, and we reaped the rewards of that.”  

For Lemmen, it was also a race full of highlights. The 29-year-old from Utrecht made his WorldTour debut in 2024 and rode only his second Grand Tour. “Four years ago, turning professional still seemed like a distant dream. It’s special now to be able to say I’m part of a team that won a Grand Tour. That it happened in my second professional year feels surreal.”  

Besides his indispensable work supporting leader Yates, Lemmen also made his presence felt several times at the front of the race. The fifteenth stage, featuring the climb of Monte Grappa, was a personal highlight for him. “That stage stayed with me. I rode at the front all day, and I felt it was my best race ever. In that stage, I was still able to do useful work in the finale to keep some of Simon’s rivals at a distance. That was thrilling.”  

The absolute climax of the Giro came a few days later, on the legendary Colle delle Finestre. On the penultimate day, Yates took control of the Giro after a perfectly executed team tactic. “I will never forget the climb of the Finestre,” says Kelderman. “I was riding near Bart when we heard that Simon had a five-minute lead over his rivals for the overall win. We realised: we are going to win this Giro.”  

Lemmen agrees. “It was a special moment. You hear snippets through your earpieces, but in the high mountains, communication with the team car and teammates often drops out. The real info came through the shouting fans along the roadside. ‘Simon has five minutes!’ they yelled. That feeling was unforgettable.”  

The final stage in the capital Rome was completely dedicated to celebrating a new Giro victory for Team Visma | Lease a Bike. To celebrate Yates’ win, the riders swapped their traditional yellow-black kit for pink-tinted outfits. As the icing on the cake, Olav Kooij claimed a third stage win for the team. “It’s hard to put into words how it felt to ride through the streets of Rome. Our pink outfits, Simon’s pink bike, the fantastic surroundings... everything was perfect. I look back on our achievement with great pride,” concludes Lemmen.