'When you have Mathieu in your team, the hierarchy is clear' - Kielich reveals difference between Visma and Alpecin

Speaking to Sporza, Kielich insists there is no bitterness about his move, but says the contrast between his old and new teams became clear almost straight away. 

After three seasons at Alpecin-Premier Tech, his contract expired, and he felt it was the right moment to look around. “I was happy there,” Kielich says, “but after three years my contract was up and it was logical to see what other opportunities were out there.” 

Visma | Lease a Bike, he explains, quickly stood out. “For my development, it was the best choice. With their approach, I can still become a better rider.”

There are few riders in the peloton who have been teammates of both Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert, something Kielich readily acknowledges. “That is quite unique,” he says. 

The 26-year-old Belgian, who won last year’s Antwerp Port Epic, says Alpecin’s racing style was not fundamentally different, but the hierarchy was clearer. “We raced in a similar way to Visma | Lease a Bike,” he explains, “but Mathieu was the leader. Because of that, there was maybe just a little less space for the other riders.”

That distinction is important to Kielich as he looks to take another step in the classics. At Visma, his role is well defined, but not restrictive. “My job is to bring the leaders into a good position at the crucial moments,” he says. “That way, we try to avoid them being forced onto the defensive.” 

At the same time, the emphasis within the team is firmly on collective success. “In the first place, we race to win together,” Kielich says. “It does not necessarily matter with whom.”

That mindset, he suggests, was less prominent at his previous team, though he is careful with his wording. “That ‘winning together’ was maybe a bit less the case at my former squad,” he says. 

“Not because it was wrong, but because you always knew who the leader was.” Van der Poel’s presence naturally shaped the way Alpecin raced, something Kielich sees as an inevitable consequence of having a rider of that stature. “When you have Mathieu in your team, the hierarchy is clear,” he says.

Looking ahead, Kielich’s calendar will take on a more international flavour. Alongside the Flemish classics, he will spend a significant part of the season racing in Italy. Strade Bianche will be a debut. “I have never ridden that race before,” he says. “On paper, it might be a bit too hard for my type of rider because of the climbing, but the gravel really appeals to me.”

After Tirreno-Adriatico, his focus will shift fully to the Giro d’Italia, where he expects to ride in support of Jonas Vingegaard. “I have never been in a situation where, as a team, we could win a Grand Tour,” Kielich says. “That is going to be something special.”