Wilco Kelderman has said a combination of his disc brakes overheating, and some back pain he was feeling, derailed his general classification challenge at the Giro d’Italia yesterday.
The Dutch rider was forced to stop twice, changing bike both times, before he even reached the Blockhaus climb. He blamed his overheating disc brakes for causing broken spokes, forcing him to stop.
By the time the final climb even began, Kelderman said he was in the red as he had been forced into a demanding pursuit. He suffered on the final climb, some 13.6km, and finished in 33rd place.
The Dutch rider, who held the race lead at the Giro until stage 19 in 2020 before finishing 3rd overall, yesterday lost 10:53 to the stage winner; his Bora-hansgrohe team mate Jai Hindley.
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Kelderman said not all of his problems were not due to his brakes, as the back pain he suffered also caused him problems. However, he believed the overheating brakes were a major setback that ruined his hopes, especially before such a tough final climb.
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"On the descent of the penultimate climb I broke a spoke from my wheel. I think the disc brakes get very hot and those spokes then get warm," Kelderman to AD, a Dutch media outlet.
"They just collapsed because of the pressure, because it was a very fast descent. I had to change bikes twice and then I was already exhausted before the climb started.
“Then I knew it wasn't going to work for me anymore. I also had some back pain. It it wasn't my day. It just sucks."
