Gesink Discussion Thread

[Bala Verde]

Ik denk niet dat hij vandaag zal afstappen, maar we twijfelen wel over het voortzetten van de Tour door Gesink.”

http://www.telegraaf.nl/telesport/t...546009/__Twijfels_over_Tour_van_Gesink__.html

 

[rabofan]

Another bad day for the Rabos although LtD rode well.
Mollema, Gesink & Kruijswijk all nowhere to be seen at the death.
Bank can't be happy.

Will they ever show Erik Breukink the door?
This tour, like the last, has been a disaster for the team.
Need a stage win from someone (Sanchez stage 12 maybe).

Got to go after a serious GC contender for next season, Froome anyone?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Gesink just gave the word. He will quit the Tour de France. No start tomorrow...

New goal Vuelta

 

[Forunculo]

Gesink just gave the word. He will quit the Tour de France. No start tomorrow...

New goal Vuelta

Good choice

 

[Azabael]

Another bad day for the Rabos although LtD rode well.
Mollema, Gesink & Kruijswijk all nowhere to be seen at the death.
Bank can't be happy.

Will they ever show Erik Breukink the door?
This tour, like the last, has been a disaster for the team.
Need a stage win from someone (Sanchez stage 12 maybe).

Got to go after a serious GC contender for next season, Froome anyone?

What nonsense. Of course suddenly they don't have serious GT contenders? Gesink 6th in the Tour and Vuelta, Kruijswijk 8th in the Giro, Mollema 4th in the Vuelta. And all that when younger than 25 years old. They have plenty of serious GC contenders. This has something to do with peaking, management and a bit of bad luck. This might come as a shock to you, but the tour isn't the only big or beautiful race during the season. Actually, before they sent our precious previous giro boss away, I rated the Giro far above the Tour in entertainment. Far.

 

[theyoungest]

What a disaster of a Tour for Rabo. Just 4 riders left in the race after stage 11. And Bram Tankink is more dead than alive, he'll abandon as well sooner or later.

Come on Erik Breukink, step down. This is too much, yes you've had a lot of bad luck, but you can't put all your eggs in the Tour basket and then come home with absolutely nothing, zero, zilch.

As for Gesink: he fought bravely, but I fear his progression has been stunted too much by injury and we can now say he's in decline.

 

[Azabael]

What a disaster of a Tour for Rabo. Just 4 riders left in the race after stage 11. And Bram Tankink is more dead than alive, he'll abandon as well sooner or later.

Come on Erik Breukink, step down. This is too much, yes you've had a lot of bad luck, but you can't put all your eggs in the Tour basket and then come home with absolutely nothing, zero, zilch.

As for Gesink: he fought bravely, but I fear his progression has been stunted too much by injury and we can now say he's in decline.

I agree with you though I wouldn't say he's in decline. He's just over his peak. I'd say stagnation, though it remains an estimation.

 

[theyoungest]

I agree with you though I wouldn't say he's in decline. He's just over his peak. I'd say stagnation, though it remains an estimation.

This isn't stagnation. Two Tours in a row we've seen him struggling to follow the peloton because of crashes, and he broke his leg in between. I think his body has had a little too much to bear.

I mean, he has to warm up half an hour on the rollers for a stage like this, because otherwise the pin in his leg bothers him too much at the beginning. That's like a rider nearing his retirement.

 

[Azabael]

This isn't stagnation. Two Tours in a row we've seen him struggling to follow the peloton because of crashes, and he broke his leg in between. I think his body has had a little too much to bear.

I mean, he has to warm up half an hour on the rollers for a stage like this, because otherwise the pin in his leg bothers him too much at the beginning. That's like a rider nearing his retirement.

He's been better at other races than before. Due to that pin, he's had a wrong form peak.

 

[theyoungest]

He's been better at other races than before. Due to that pin, he's had a wrong form peak.

At what other races was he better than before?

He's done some good TTs, that much is true.

 

[Cimber]

Am really tired of Gesink always suffering from injuries in the Tour. For once I would like to see Gesink do a Tour in top shape with no injuries. Its gotta be frustrating for him

 

[Bala Verde]

Am really tired of Gesink always suffering from injuries in the Tour. For once I would like to see Gesink do a Tour in top shape with no injuries. Its gotta be frustrating for him

I think it [bad luck; crashes; disappointment/disillusionment] bothers him so much to the point it affects his riding. He works so hard and he wants to see that converted into results. I am glad he abandoned, for his own sake, so he can recover and set himself a new goal.

 

[Azabael]

At what other races was he better than before?

He's done some good TTs, that much is true.

ToC + his TTs.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I don't think Gesink stagnated or regressed as rider. I only think he didn't get better uphill the past 2 years, but he didn't get worse either. He improved his ITT without getting worse uphill. I just hope we get to see him in ANY gt, don't care which, in where nothing happens to him.

Vuelta 2009 was the closest thing to it. But there Mosquera ruined his GT just before the end

 

[theyoungest]

I don't think Gesink stagnated or regressed as rider. I only think he didn't get better uphill the past 2 years, but he didn't get worse either. He improved his ITT without getting worse uphill. I just hope we get to see him in ANY gt, don't care which, in where nothing happens to him.

Vuelta 2009 was the closest thing to it. But there Mosquera ruined his GT just before the end

He got worse, look at the Vuelta 2009 you mention. So much power, so much ability to hurt every contender uphill. Gesink the A-level climber is gone.

 

[Azabael]

He got worse, look at the Vuelta 2009 you mention. So much power, so much ability to hurt every contender uphill. Gesink the A-level climber is gone.

I think that's mainly cause they focused so much on getting the time trial nailed. They adjust to how the Tour looks next year, instead of trying to find a race that fits with your best qualities. I'd rather see the latter, honestly.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

He got worse, look at the Vuelta 2009 you mention. So much power, so much ability to hurt every contender uphill. Gesink the A-level climber is gone.

I don't believe that. And I don't see that either. Last year Dauphine he was a strong as that. This year California/Suisse he was maybe a bit below, but not much. 1% less maybe. And that after breaking a leg.
He was at the same level as Pinot in Suisse, and look at what Pinot does this Tour.

No, I strongly disagree

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

At Canada when he was chasing Gilbert he displayed massive power, albeit not really climbing mountains related. Problem with gesink is he has a terrible string of injuries and bad luck over the past few years it is hard to know what his progress is.

But I can't help and feel pessimist with his future. Poor guy.

 

[staubsauger]

Why isn't Rabobank at Colorado this season? That would be a good deal for Rob after his California success from my point of view.

 

[K-0tic]

At Canada when he was chasing Gilbert he displayed massive power, albeit not really climbing mountains related. Problem with gesink is he has a terrible string of injuries and bad luck over the past few years it is hard to know what his progress is.

But I can't help and feel pessimist with his future. Poor guy.

Just bad luck this time. Gesink doesn't seem to recover fast from injuries anyway but I'm sure there will be a year in which he won't be on the ground. Hopefully we can see him in the Vuelta for a payback.

 

[movingtarget]

At Canada when he was chasing Gilbert he displayed massive power, albeit not really climbing mountains related. Problem with gesink is he has a terrible string of injuries and bad luck over the past few years it is hard to know what his progress is.

But I can't help and feel pessimist with his future. Poor guy.

I am starting to feel that he is cursed. He needs a result in a grand tour to get him back on track. He looked good in the Tour of California. He should dodge the Vuelta and start again next year. The route in next year's Tour should suit him but of course The Meateater and Schleck will be back along with the Sky riders. There is no reason that a healthy Gesink could not finish in the top 5 next year top 10 at worst. His TT is good but he needs more consistency with his climbing but it's hard when he is always injured or suffering from falls. Alternative would be to ride the Giro and aim for the podium. Ryder will do the Tour, Basso is not the rider he was, Nibali will probably do the Tour as well as Rodriguez. Maybe his biggest threats will be from possibly De Gendt, Scarponi and Kreuziger etc as the best climbers will want to target what is supposed to be a mountainous Tour next year. Evans should do the Giro as well before he retires possibly the following year. But he won't of course.

 

[ericthesportsman6]

I am starting to feel that he is cursed. He needs a result in a grand tour to get him back on track. He looked good in the Tour of California. He should dodge the Vuelta and start again next year. The route in next year's Tour should suit him but of course The Meateater and Schleck will be back along with the Sky riders. There is no reason that a healthy Gesink could not finish in the top 5 next year top 10 at worst. His TT is good but he needs more consistency with his climbing but it's hard when he is always injured or suffering from falls. Alternative would be to ride the Giro and aim for the podium. Ryder will do the Tour, Basso is not the rider he was, Nibali will probably do the Tour as well as Rodriguez. Maybe his biggest threats will be from possibly De Gendt, Scarponi and Kreuziger etc as the best climbers will want to target what is supposed to be a mountainous Tour next year. Evans should do the Giro as well before he retires possibly the following year. But he won't of course.

How do we know next year's Tour route will suit Gesink? IMO he should ride the Giro/Vuelta. Less pressure/expectations would help him.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

How do we know next year's Tour route will suit Gesink? IMO he should ride the Giro/Vuelta. Less pressure/expectations would help him.

It's rumored to be a hard course. Some people think that suits him, while the opposite is true, IMO. This year's TDF course was actually a pretty good fit for him.

 

[movingtarget]

How do we know next year's Tour route will suit Gesink? IMO he should ride the Giro/Vuelta. Less pressure/expectations would help him.

His mind won't be on the job at the Vuelta and his body is not great either and Contador will make it a dull race. He should rest. The organisers of the Tour have already stated that they will be celebrating the centenary of the first big mountains used in the Tour from 1913. They have hinted that it will be a mountainous Tour with more MTFs. After the parcours from 2011 and 2012, I am guessing a lot less TT kms and back to the TTT and the big mountains. Gesink showed he can climb well enough without threatening for the win. He needs to finish a grand tour in good shape before anything else. I am guessing Tourmalet, Alpe and maybe Ventoux next year or maybe Galibier again. They seem to have the Alpe in the race every second year in recent times. Gesink should rest up and ride the Giro.

 

[ericthesportsman6]

His mind won't be on the job at the Vuelta and his body is not great either and Contador will make it a dull race. He should rest. The organisers of the Tour have already stated that they will be celebrating the centenary of the first big mountains used in the Tour from 1913. They have hinted that it will be a mountainous Tour with more MTFs. After the parcours from 2011 and 2012, I am guessing a lot less TT kms and back to the TTT and the big mountains. Gesink showed he can climb well enough without threatening for the win. He needs to finish a grand tour in good shape before anything else. I am guessing Tourmalet, Alpe and maybe Ventoux next year or maybe Galibier again. They seem to have the Alpe in the race every second year in recent times. Gesink should rest up and ride the Giro.

Actually I meant riding the Giro/Vuelta next year.