Dutch winning above 2,000 m

[Danilot]

Looking at the profile of today's Giro stage, with the Stelvio, and seeing Clement and Slager in the breakaway, made me wonder whether any Dutch rider has ever won a Grand Tour stage above 2,000 m of altitude.

As far as I can remember, the answer is "no", but maybe I'm forgetting someone. Can someone confirm?

 

[Lanark]

Isn't La Plagne where Boogerd won not above 2000 meter?

 

[Ruudz0r]

Boogerd at La Plagne I think

 

[Danilot]

Isn't La Plagne where Boogerd won not above 2000 meter?

That's the one I first thought of, but after checking the Cyclingnews archive I found that Boogerd's stage finished at 1,860 m altitude.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

How high was Mt. Baldy?

 

[jsem94]

How high was Mt. Baldy?

TOC isn't the 4th GT just yet

 

[The Sheep]

1988 Gavia at 2600m Johan van der Velde is the first to get to the top and Erik Breukink wins the stage.

 

[El Pistolero]

Probably in the 70s and 80s when the Dutch had a lot of good cyclists. I know they won Alpe Dhuez a few times, but don't know the altitude meters of that climb, probably not over 2000 meters.

 

[Danilot]

Probably in the 70s and 80s when the Dutch had a lot of good cyclists. I know they won Alpe Dhuez a few times, but don't know the altitude meters of that climb, probably not over 2000 meters.

Yep, it's under 2,000 metres.

 

[Danilot]

Since it seems there have been no Dutch stage wins above 2,000 m in Grand Tours... What about other stage races?

 

[theyoungest]

Since it seems there have been no Dutch stage wins above 2,000 m in Grand Tours... What about other stage races?

Gesink won a stage in the Tour de Suisse, it didn't finish on the Albulapass (2300 m) but he had a huge gap at the top.

He gets better with altitude, so if your point is that the Dutch can't handle altitude then he's the exception.

 

[AntonioRossi]

How high was Mt. Baldy?

just slightly less than 2000. It's at around 1950 meters but nonetheless Gesink seems to be the dutch guy that is capable of winning very high mountain stages

 

[WindLessBreeze]

Regardless, Those Low Land fellows could climb

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plenty of examples

 

[Je ne sais quoi]

The Dutch are such good climbers because daily they have to haul their assses above sea level just to get a good look around.

[Cue 'Kilroy was here' graphic]

 

[Danilot]

Gesink won a stage in the Tour de Suisse, it didn't finish on the Albulapass (2300 m) but he had a huge gap at the top.

He gets better with altitude, so if your point is that the Dutch can't handle altitude then he's the exception.

I certainly don't believe the Dutch can't handle the altitude. There have been many great Dutch climbers in the history of cycling.

But what seems to be missing is wins in stages finishing above 2,000 m, which seems to point towards the Dutch not being able to handle very high altitudes.

 

[Frosty]

How many stages finish above 2000 metres though? Maybe not as many as you think as places like Luz-Ardiden, Hautacam, Plateau de Beille, Alpe d'huez, La Plagne are all below this level. There are still quite a few though, 2 in the Giro, one in last year's tour but it wouldnt surprise me if there have been some grand tours with no finish above this height.

 

[Lanark]

I certainly don't believe the Dutch can't handle the altitude. There have been many great Dutch climbers in the history of cycling.

But what seems to be missing is wins in stages finishing above 2,000 m, which seems to point towards the Dutch not being able to handle very high altitudes.

It really doesn't though. It seems to point to the fact that Dutch riders won one MTF in the last 20 years, hardly a reasonable basis for any conclusion.

The Dutch riders did win more MTF's in the 70's and 80's, but nobody here has posted a list of those to see how many were above 2000 meter, and much more importantly, nobody has looked at how many MTF's finished above 2000 meter in those years in the first place, something that really isn't that common in the Tour de France.

 

[The Sheep]

Are there any finishes beside Torumalet and Galibier above 2k in the TdF? because they have only finished 3 times on those tops.

 

[theyoungest]

I certainly don't believe the Dutch can't handle the altitude. There have been many great Dutch climbers in the history of cycling.

But what seems to be missing is wins in stages finishing above 2,000 m, which seems to point towards the Dutch not being able to handle very high altitudes.

And that's exactly the point I was refuting. The Suisse stage finished after a descent, but Gesink made the difference on the climb, so for the purpose of your "research" it's all the same.

 

[will10]

How many stages finish above 2000 metres though? Maybe not as many as you think as places like Luz-Ardiden, Hautacam, Plateau de Beille, Alpe d'huez, La Plagne are all below this level. There are still quite a few though, 2 in the Giro, one in last year's tour but it wouldnt surprise me if there have been some grand tours with no finish above this height.

This. Kind of makes the question a little moot. Like "only Belgians win above 2750 metres"

 

[l.Harm]

Kruijswijk 6th stage Tour de Suisse 2011. Finish was at 1429m but they went over a climb of 2380m.

 

[theyoungest]

Kruijswijk 6th stage Tour de Suisse 2011. Finish was at 1429m but they went over a climb of 2380m.

They went over that climb with the entire peloton, so that's not a very convincing example

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Question for the Dutch friends. Who are the Dutch young talented riders, currently (or soon) capable of finishing in the high mountains with the favorites in a GT?

Gesink, Mollema, Kruiswijck, Poels... and i feel i'm forgetting one but i can't come up with a name. I'm not talking about Ten Dam or Westra to be clear.

 

[Frosty]

Im not Dutch but i think the name might be Kelderman

 

[l.Harm]

Ruijgh? Or maybe Hoogerland.