Rabobus

[Dekker_Tifosi]

We give them a lot of crap, but the statistics show this

1999
1. [Ita] Mapei - Quick Step TT1 10765
2. [Ned] Rabobank TT1 10263
3. [Esp] ONCE - Deutsche Bank TT1 7117
4. [Ger] Team Deutsche Telekom TT1 6532
5. [Ita] Team Polti TT1 6435

2000
1. [Ita] Mapei - Quick Step TT1 13134
2. [Ger] Team Deutsche Telekom TT1 9957
3. [Esp] Kelme - Costa Blanca TT1 7405
4. [Ita] Lampre - Daikin TT1 7217
5. [Ned] Rabobank TT1 6930

2001
1. [Ita] Mapei - Quick Step TT1 8608
2. [Ger] Team Deutsche Telekom TT1 8397
3. [Ned] Rabobank TT1 7589
4. [Ita] Fassa Bortolo TT1 7572
5. [Esp] ONCE - Eroski - Würth TT1 6908

2002
12. [Ned] Rabobank TT1 6016

2003
1. [Ita] Fassa Bortolo TT1 9396
2. [Bel] Quick Step - Davitamon TT1 9063
3. [Ita] Saeco TT1 8575
4. [Ger] Team Telekom TT1 8118
5. [Ger] Gerolsteiner TT1 6792
6. [Ned] Rabobank TT1 6705

2004
1. [Ger] T-Mobile Team TT1 9723
2. [Den] Team CSC TT1 8870
3. [Ger] Gerolsteiner TT1 8635
4. [Ned] Rabobank TT1 8381
5. [Bel] Quick Step - Davitamon TT1 8286

2005
1. [Den] Team CSC PRT 10362
2. [Ned] Rabobank PRT 9235
3. [Bel] Quick Step PRT 8604
4. [Ita] Fassa Bortolo PRT 8304
5. [Usa] Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team PRT 7993

2006
1. [Den] Team CSC PRT 14274
2. [Bel] Quick Step - Innergetic PRT 10345
3. [Ita] Lampre PRT 9213
4. [Usa] Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team PRT 9184
5. [Ger] Gerolsteiner PRT 8841
6. [Esp] Caisse d'Epargne - Illes Balears PRT 8517
7. [Ger] T-Mobile Team PRT 7610
8. [Ned] Rabobank PRT 7474

2007
1. [Den] Team CSC PRT 12940
2. [Esp] Caisse d'Epargne PRT 10242
3. [Ita] Liquigas PRT 10092
4. [Bel] Quick Step - Innergetic PRT 9234
5. [Ned] Rabobank PRT 9178

2008
1. [Den] Team CSC - Saxo Bank PRT 13491
2. [Usa] Team Columbia PRT 12827
3. [Lux] Astana PRT 10426
4. [Esp] Caisse d'Epargne PRT 10355
5. [Bel] Quick Step PRT 9834
6. [Ita] Liquigas PRT 9407
7. [Ned] Rabobank PRT 8189

2009
1. [Usa] Team Columbia - HTC PRT 13042
2. [Den] Team Saxo Bank PRT 12461
3. [Ned] Rabobank PRT 9900
4. [Esp] Caisse d'Epargne PRT 9026
5. [Bel] Quick Step PRT 8670

2010
1. [Usa] Team HTC - Columbia PRT 11130
2. [Den] Team Saxo Bank PRT 10084
3. [Ita] Liquigas - Doimo PRT 10012
4. [Rus] Team Katusha PRT 8737
5. [Ned] Rabobank PRT 8617

2011
1. [Gbr] Sky Professional Cycling Team PRT 10540
2. [Usa] HTC - Highroad PRT 9694
3. [Lux] Leopard - Trek PRT 9693
4. [Usa] Team Garmin - Cervélo PRT 9299
5. [Ned] Rabobank PRT 8738

Since 1999 they've only been outside the top five 4 times, and outside the top 10 only once..
Statistically they are quite simply a structural top 5 team.
So... how does Rabobank get its bad reputation?

 

[The Hitch]

The first 50 times I saw the word Rabobus on this forum, it was from a dutch poster.

 

[skidmark]

Well, I mean why do Rojas, Bennati and Marcato get made fun of? Looks like Boogerd's record in Amstel, except without the first place. People are always hard on those they expect more out of.

 

[will10]

Cos they could've/should've done better. And some of their tactics are questionable to say the least.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I do realise they should have gotten far more out of it in a lot of situations. But that would imply they would be the best team in the world year in/year out without mistakes.
Is that realistic? Maybe we expect far too much.

 

[roundabout]

Jeez, it seems all the hand-wringing after the Vuelta Andalucia stage 2 was so long ago.

Do I have to be a fan to call them Rabobus?

 

[Panda Claws]

Because Rabobank is full of riders that can ride top-10, but has little riders that can actually win.

 

[Froome19]

I do realise they should have gotten far more out of it in a lot of situations. But that would imply they would be the best team in the world year in/year out without mistakes.
Is that realistic? Maybe we expect far too much.

Rabobank seem to have as much potential as Sky and all the other top squads yet they're never achieved that. There seems to be a constant band of riders like Gesink who just seems to promise so much and yet just stutter.
Hopefully that can be changed with guys like Mollema, Kruisiwijik and of course Kelderman. Boom also seems to be a rider who will not achieve what he is promised.
The bottom line is that people feel that teams should get the most out of their riders, thats why people never mock teams like Vaconsoleil as they dont do well for a protour team yet considering their roster they achievement is satisfactory- unlike the Rabobus.
I think your stats show it all; they've never once in the last 13 years been top.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

They also never had the biggest budget...

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Well it's quite an achievement to have kept the same main sponsor for such a long time - no one else compares to Rabobus on that score.

 

[Froome19]

They also never had the biggest budget...

Indeed an achievement but regardless they supposedly produce the best young stars with their amazing feeder team and then it all goes ....

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Indeed an achievement but regardless they supposedly produce the best young stars with their amazing feeder team and then it all goes ....

....other teams who steal them away.
Besides, talent is still talent. They raise them to their max potential. But if some Spanish guy is genetically simply more talented, then they can do all the training they want, they'll never catch up.

 

[Froome19]

....other teams who steal them away.
Besides, talent is still talent. They raise them to their max potential. But if some Spanish guy is genetically simply more talented, then they can do all the training they want, they'll never catch up.

But is that Spanish guy more talented or is it just that he becomes better than the Rabo talent?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

The spanish guy is simply more talented. Only with Gewiss like tactics (read, clinic stuff) can you make Gesink better than Contador.

 

[Duartista]

The spanish guy is simply more talented. Only with Gewiss like tactics (read, clinic stuff) can you make Gesink better than Contador.

Than Contador, maybe. But Gesink was climbing impressively enough at a young age that you might expect him to be at the top of the second level below Bertie by now. Plus he seems to be a more talented time trialist than a Schleck or Basso, for example.

That said, in general I always assumed the 'Rabobus' stuff was mostly tongue in cheek. They may not have won a TDF, but not many teams do.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

But Rabobank Continental is already very professional

When their riders turn professional, they are already close to their maximum potential.
You could say they should tone it down at the ct team so they have more time to develop at the pro's. But I think all that will do is slow the time they reach their maximum. You can't improve beyond a certain point. All what happens with the Rabobank talents is that they are already very veyr good at their u23 period.

You see the same stuff with Russians and Scandinavians (especially Danish riders).
And let's be honest... even with teams like RadioShack and Astana Popovych never fulfilled his potential. Instead, he became much, much worse. You can't say the same with Rabobank's riders.

edit: not even talking about guys like Grabovsky and Ignatiev

 

[ferryman]

Nothing wrong with Rabo.

Just unleash Gesink, Mollema and Kruijswijk in a GT together and we have much fun The future is Orange

 

[Kwibus]

Because Rabobank is full of riders that can ride top-10, but has little riders that can actually win.

Pretty much this.
Freire used to win for them, but...

 

[Froome19]

But Rabobank Continental is already very professional

When their riders turn professional, they are already close to their maximum potential.
You could say they should tone it down at the ct team so they have more time to develop at the pro's. But I think all that will do is slow the time they reach their maximum. You can't improve beyond a certain point. All what happens with the Rabobank talents is that they are already very veyr good at their u23 period.

You see the same stuff with Russians and Scandinavians (especially Danish riders).
And let's be honest... even with teams like RadioShack and Astana Popovych never fulfilled his potential. Instead, he became much, much worse. You can't say the same with Rabobank's riders.

edit: not even talking about guys like Grabovsky and Ignatiev

There was a very interesting article about this in Procycling last month.
According to Wim Feys the directeur sportif at EFC Omga Pharma- Quick step (omega pharma's feeder team) its not about them having already fulfilled their potential but rather "to go down the path of pure professionalism at an early age can stunt riders' progress" rather "its good for young riders to start in some professional races and some amateur races"
According to Jan Jenssen (part of the elite club of dutch TDF winners which consists of 2 members) "young riders race too much during their period of formation" he also complains how the Rabobank continental boys are pampered too much similar too how young footballers are nowadays.

Whatever the reason for it is, it seems like rabo are missing a trick when developing their future stars. Yes they may be further along than other youngsters but the fact is that they constantly seem to be producing tonnes and tonnes of good youngsters yet none of them ever seem to be taking their step up to brilliancy- backed up by the fact that the Rabobank CT have never produced a GT or Monument winner (thats 15 years) though they send by far and away the most amount of riders, more than any other feeder squads, to the worldtour.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Yet many of their riders become good to very good professionals. And it seems the best they produced is what they have now around ages 24/25

I mean Kruijswijk, Mollema and Gesink all reached top 10 in a GT before their 26th birthday. (gesink is the first one to turn 26 in May).. So I think the biggest is still to come.

And you may say Gesink struggles. But didn't Evans struggle quite a bit as well after his first Giro breakthrough?
I'm just saying it takes some time. Also Basso had some years where he didn't really improve either before making the jump..

 

[gilbertador]

We dont take the pi*s out of Rabobank because they are bad, they genuinly seem to have a lot good riders who simply dont have the ability to win big races but do have the riders to get plenty of top 5s, as fans its esier to celebrat a 1st than 3 in the lead group of 10 (amstel gold) but there consistency is really something to admire, its just harder for us to appreciate the results when it appears like a series of near misses

With out them buying an AC Gilbert Cav or Griepel they wont get consistent big wins, but with the team they have they maximise there return, the reality of pro cycling is that in GTs and Classics the best rider does actually win an awful lot of the time

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Anyway I have much more respect for teams like euskaltel, rabobank, garmin, and the french teams who try to develop their own riders and make the best out of that with the help of a few foreigners (stars/helpers), then teams like BMC who just throw with their money to buy the best available in the market.. i mean any idiot can do that.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Well it's quite an achievement to have kept the same main sponsor for such a long time - no one else compares to Rabobus on that score.

confidos, euskatel, fdj etc.
But yeah, rabo have done the best in regards to consistancy.

I like all the long term sponsors, respect.

Rabobank seem to have as much potential as Sky and all the other top squads yet they're never achieved that. There seems to be a constant band of riders like Gesink who just seems to promise so much and yet just stutter.

Whatever the reason for it is, it seems like rabo are missing a trick when developing their future stars. Yes they may be further along than other youngsters but the fact is that they constantly seem to be producing tonnes and tonnes of good youngsters yet none of them ever seem to be taking their step up to brilliancy- backed up by the fact that the Rabobank CT have never produced a GT or Monument winner (thats 15 years) though they send by far and away the most amount of riders, more than any other feeder squads, to the worldtour.

Hopefully that can be changed with guys like Mollema, Kruisiwijik and of course Kelderman. Boom also seems to be a rider who will not achieve what he is promised.

huh? Gesink is 25 lol and you act like his career is over, get a grip.
He has had a prety good career thus far, last year was affected greatly with injuries and personal issues, so I fail to see how gesink is considred a lost case.

Funny how people don't mind hyping guys like Froome and rolland, despite doing very little in their career. But when a guy like Gesink, who has heaps of results and is younger (same age as rolland) has an unlucky season it would appear rabo fail at devolping riders. Ignorance.

Please get some perspective

Same goes for mollema, Kruijswijk, Boom etc. All still relatively young guys, just leaving the 'youth years' now. Philippe Gilbert wasn't destroying everyone 4 years ago either, he was promising (BTW im not saying any of the riders are gonna be that level, but simply get some perspective). Indeed, it seems like Rabo have now introduced thier best batch of youngsters and the last couple of years have been very promising for dutch cycling.

--

Anyway I respect rabo for what they are doing for dutch cycling, it is admirable.

Hopefully the current batch of riders really do live up to thier promise.

 

[blaxland]

To be fair Rabobank has been in this sport for a very long time and seem to produce some of the most exciting young(u25)riders to come into the professional peloton.But for some reason the best the team can produce in grand tours is top 5/10.Their classics campaign seems to be far better with a few wins across the board,but why no GT wins???Maybe they need a change of leadership(Breukink)?Hopefully Gesink doesnt fail again this year?

 

[will10]

To be fair Rabobank has been in this sport for a very long time and seem to produce some of the most exciting young(u25)riders to come into the professional peloton.But for some reason the best the team can produce in grand tours is top 5/10.Their classics campaign seems to be far better with a few wins across the board,but why no GT wins???Maybe they need a change of leadership(Breukink)?Hopefully Gesink doesnt fail again this year?

You could say that about half the WorldTour teams FFS.

Oh and some guy called Menchov didn't do too bad.