Team DSM are thrilled to reveal three exciting talents that will join their Development program: Axel Källberg, Milan Kadlec and Adam Seeman. Källberg joins the team immediately, while Kadlec and Seeman will join Development Team DSM next season, with all three riders contracted through the 2024 season.
Photo Credit: Cor Vos
Axel Källberg (FIN)
Having spent two years in the juniors, Källberg combined a mix of road racing and track, plus a smattering of cyclocross; helping to build up his overall skills and ability on the bike. The Covid restricted 2020 season saw him compete mostly in his native Finland which included a fantastic win at the national championships where he took the road race title. Before he moved across to the Netherlands to ride with Willebrord Wil Vooruit Juniors team in 2021, in the start of the season he took on a plethora of races in Finland, including wins at Ole Wackströmin Muistoajo U19 and Fellmanin Ajot. This year Källberg has moved up to the U23 ranks, where he has picked up some solid results in the tough Scandinavian racing scene, ahead of joining the Development program this summer.
Källberg said: “I chose Team DSM because I really like the way they work with developing young riders. I’m really looking forward to starting racing with the team and learning from the other guys in the team. From juniors I see myself as a rider for the classics but I just want to learn and improve as much as possible. In the short term, I want to come into the team in a good way, make a good impression and do my best in all the races.”
Team DSM head of coaching Rudi Kemna continued: “Axel is a strong rider who has a big engine. Stereotypically as someone from the north of Europe, in the juniors he was someone that was well suited to the classics as a powerful rider; and he also packs a good turn of speed from a reduced group. Like all of our Development program riders, we want to give Axel the chance to grow and develop in a good way as a complete rider before focusing on any specialisation.”
Photo Credit: Cor Vos
Milan Kadlec (CZE)
Czech rider Kadlec has combined his road and track riding throughout his two years as a junior, with his skills and power transferring from each discipline and complimenting his development as a rider. In 2021 he claimed a fine second place in the Czech national road race, before winning the overall crown at Medzinárodné Dubnica nad Váhom, alongside several other solid results and an impressive 90-kilometre breakaway at the World Championships. Next to his road results he also took home the European championship title on the track for the points race. 2022 has witnessed Kadlec make similar progression with his team Dukla Praha Juniors, raising his arms aloft at Giant Liga-GP Rafkarna U19 and a very impressive stage win at LVM Saarland Trofeo Juniors, before more success on the track by taking the madison title at the European Championships.
Kadlec said: “I’ve admired Team DSM for many years and wanted to ride for them for a while. They have a great program and clear goals, plus a good place to develop athletes at the Aqua-Step Keep Challenging Center. I’ve also heard lots of great things from Pavel [Bittner] too. In my first year I’m really committed to doing everything I can to make this team a success and if I get the green light to be the finisher, I want to take those chances. I consider myself a rider who can win a race after a long breakaway and I am good on hills by myself so I think the classics could suit me in the future. I want to win races with the team, whether it’s me or someone else that crosses the line first – a win is a win.”
Team DSM head coach Rudi Kemna added: “Milan is someone that can ride very fast on the bike. He’s not an out and out sprinter so to say, but he has a lot of strength. With that talent he became European champion in the scratch race on the track; putting that power on display by attacking and no one was able to catch him. He’s a brilliant talent but still relatively raw, and I think we can bring him up a lot with our support and structure. At the moment he seems to be an all-rounder that can pack a sprint, but with our coaching and support we will look to improve him in every facet.”
Photo Credit: Jan Brychta
Adam Seeman (CZE)
Multi-disciplined cyclist Seeman has competed on the road, track and in the cyclocross fields as he has progressed his way through the ranks and into the junior categories for the past two years. In 2021 he picked up two stage wins throughout the season alongside several other strong top ten performances, plus a strong effort over the climbs in the breakaway to claim the king of the mountains jersey at Course de la Paix Juniors. Rounding out his year with four wins in cyclocross races and a third at the national championships; Seeman put his full focus on road racing for 2022 and made the move to Italy to ride with CPS Professional Team. Starting the season with a bang, Seeman tasted success in his first race of the year with a win at La Corsa Di Sandro. Since then, he’s followed that up with a string of impressive rides and top ten results in races in Italy and the Czech Republic, including second at Gran Premio Citta Di Mentana and third at GP Marcello Falcone.
