Steven Kruijswijk will continue cycling for at least another year. The Brabander has extended his expiring contract with Visma-Lease a Bike by one year on Wednesday, making it his seventeenth year as a professional.
“I still enjoy it immensely and feel physically very good again,” says Kruijswijk on the Visma-Lease a Bike website. “The past Giro confirmed again for me and the team that I am still of added value. That feeling is decisive for me.”
The 38-year-old Kruijswijk played an important role in the past Giro as a domestique for Simon Yates, who won the first grand tour of the year. Yet, the Dutchman was passed over by the team for the Tour de France.
Kruijswijk has mainly been a domestique at Visma-Lease a Bike in recent years. He experienced his heyday in the previous decade. In 2016, he competed for the overall victory in the Giro but eventually finished fourth. Three years later, he finished in third place in the Tour. He has been riding for the Dutch team his entire life.
“It is important that we can retain someone who has been with this team for so long,” says first team leader Grischa Niermann. “Steven has already had almost all the different possible roles here, but also experienced all situations. That makes him of great added value to the team.”
Recently, Visma-Lease a Bike also extended the contract with veteran Wilco Kelderman. The 34-year-old climber, who has also mainly served as a domestique for the Dutch team in recent years, signed for two years.