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General News Thread

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No that's nonsense.

Anducia is 4 stages (Oman was 6)
Almeria is 1
Murcia is 2 or 3? (Tirreno is 7)
Catalunya is 6 or 7?

So in racedays, he does as much as last year.
Plus he NEEDS those races since he has just recovered from a broken leg and needs a lot of race rythm to get going again I think.
 
May 6, 2009
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Dekker_Tifosi said:
Gesinks program up till the Tour de France:

19-23 feb - Vuelta Andalucia (Ruta del Sol)
26 feb - Clasica Almeria
3-4 mar - Vuelta a Murcia
19-25 mar - Volta Catalunya
2-7 apr - Pais Vasco
15 apr - Amstel Gold
18 apr - Fleche Wallone
22 apr - Liege Bastogne Liege
9-17 jun - Tour de Suisse
30 jun-22 jul - Tour de France

So wish he would do the Giro instead of the Tour. If there's one thing about Purito that I respect is that he realizes that he won't do much better than his 8th place and getting a stage win at the Tour, so he goes for the Giro and Vuelta, races he has much better chances of success. Even if Contador is banned or not, Gesink still won't beat Andy Schleck unless he cracks big time.
 
craig1985 said:
So wish he would do the Giro instead of the Tour. If there's one thing about Purito that I respect is that he realizes that he won't do much better than his 8th place and getting a stage win at the Tour, so he goes for the Giro and Vuelta, races he has much better chances of success. Even if Contador is banned or not, Gesink still won't beat Andy Schleck unless he cracks big time.
Purito did the Giro because his team wanted him to... Gesink won't be at a level to really compete in the Giro anyway, so why bother.
 
Jul 16, 2010
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theyoungest said:
For the experience? Or maybe to help Mollema get a glorious 15th on GC :p

He should do the Giro-Vuelta in my opinion. The Giro just to get a lot of race km in his legs and the Vuelta to do a good GC. Now they have Mollema they can use in the Tour together with Kruiswijck. Gesink won't be competitve after this serious injury. I'd understand if there weren't 3 time trials this Tour and a lot of mountains, but I just don't think it's a wise decision. I know why Rabo wants him at the Tour and all, but sometimes...
 
Apr 14, 2010
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El Pistolero said:
One wonders why Gesink rides the Tour then.


Although normally I would agree with you, not this year though.
Are you forgetting about his leg injury? He won't be able to ride the Giro in any kind of form. He'll ride the Tour as a warmup for the rest of the season. Except when he'll have recovered from his injury in july so that he can compete on top level again. That won't be happening in may however.

In general I think the Giro Vuelta would be a wiser choice of racing for Gesink, perhaps in 2013? Don't think it will happen with this managementteam at the helm :(
 
Reuell said:
In general I think the Giro Vuelta would be a wiser choice of racing for Gesink, perhaps in 2013? Don't think it will happen with this managementteam at the helm :(
He already indicated that his goal will probably always remain the Tour, so you can forget it :p

Don't see what the management team has to do with that... yes, they could order him to do the Giro, but it's a bit strange to send your best GC rider there and not to the most important race of the season.
 
Apr 14, 2010
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theyoungest said:
He already indicated that his goal will probably always remain the Tour, so you can forget it :p

Don't see what the management team has to do with that... yes, they could order him to do the Giro, but it's a bit strange to send your best GC rider there and not to the most important race of the season.

I know he wants to ride the Tour. I just despise the Dutch focus on the Tour, ignoring perhaps the more suited Giro and Vuelta. I still think it's better to ride for podium then top 10. But I know my hope is futile.
And I do think management is responsible for spreading the squad. I mean sending all three GC men to focus on one GC?!?
 
Reuell said:
I know he wants to ride the Tour. I just despise the Dutch focus on the Tour, ignoring perhaps the more suited Giro and Vuelta. I still think it's better to ride for podium then top 10. But I know my hope is futile.
And I do think management is responsible for spreading the squad. I mean sending all three GC men to focus on one GC?!?
So? Last year Kruijswijk did the Giro for GC, Mollema the Vuelta... both did well, but Rabo's season is still considered a failure because of their failed Tour. They might as well send all of them to France, and hope for the best ;)

These Dutch guys simply want to test themselves against the world's best. Seems a healthy ambition for a sportsman.
 
Jun 16, 2009
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Gesink's over valuing of the tour is really stupid considering what he could do at the Vuelta. The tour may be important to his team but does he want to end up with a rather small palmares at the end of his career because he was too busy focusing on the tour? I don't think so.
 
Jul 5, 2010
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auscyclefan94 said:
Gesink's over valuing of the tour is really stupid considering what he could do at the Vuelta. The tour may be important to his team but does he want to end up with a rather small palmares at the end of his career because he was too busy focusing on the tour? I don't think so.

With a couple podium places in the Vuelta on his palmares, for the Dutch public (and Gesink himself too as result) his palmares will still be considered small. They will only care if he wins it and even then not that much.

Gesink isn't overvaluing the Tour. He is valuing it for what it is worth for everyone not a 'real' cycling fan. Which means it is bigger than the rest of the year combined. Gesink can (theoretically speaking) come second in the Giro and third in the Vuelta, but if Mollema and Kruijswijk don't get top 5 at the Tour the year will still be a failure.
 
Dec 27, 2010
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The Hitch said:
Give back the Giro and Vuelta invitations then.

Most would prefer a Aqua Sapone team there instead of the "we dont give a ****" Rabo lineup.

Rabo have always sent young GC prospects to the Giro for years and years. Other teams send much poorer lineups than than Rabobank.
 
Dec 30, 2011
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The Hitch said:
Give back the Giro and Vuelta invitations then.

Most would prefer a Aqua Sapone team there instead of the "we dont give a ****" Rabo lineup.
Not so fast
Just watch out for Tom Slagter, this year. Have a feeling he may do considerably better than Garzelli and co could ever do.
 
The Hitch said:
Give back the Giro and Vuelta invitations then.

Most would prefer a Aqua Sapone team there instead of the "we dont give a ****" Rabo lineup.
Last year they had a week in pink, a stage win, a GC top 10, and were very close to the white jersey... not bad, for a "we don't give a ****" lineup.

Not to mention that they even won the damn thing not too long ago.
 
theyoungest said:
Last year they had a week in pink, a stage win, a GC top 10, and were very close to the white jersey... not bad, for a "we don't give a ****" lineup.

Not to mention that they even won the damn thing not too long ago.

I never said they shouldn't have been invited in 09.

This year though, they dont give a **** so they should give it to someone who does.
 

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