Kielich has only been racing full-time on the road for two years. Before, he combined road racing with cyclocross and mountainbiking. During the past seasons, he has honed his skills in supporting team leaders during the classics and other races. He also pursued his own ambitions and managed to win a race each year.

“He will take on a similar role with us,” says Head of Racing Grischa Niermann. “Timo is a valuable addition to our spring classics squad to support our leaders. Every year, we deal with changes in the team, that’snormal. With Timo’s arrival, we’re anticipating the departure of certain riders from our classics squad. In addition, he will have opportunities in other races to go for his own results. We also believe he can become an even better rider within our team.”

Kielich himself is clearly pleased with the move to Team Visma | Lease a Bike. “I see this as a great opportunity for myself,” says the Belgian. “This is only my second year in the WorldTour, but when you include my offroad years, I’ve already been part of the same team for eight years. A change of environment will be good for me, and I’m curious to see what it will be like in a new team. Besides the classics, I’m also looking forward to riding a Grand Tour with a team aiming for the general classification.”