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Thomas Dekker to Garmin

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theyoungest

Jan 11, 2010
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According to the Telegraaf, Thomas Dekker will ride for the Chipotle Development Team, with the intention to move on to the pro team (obviously). The signing will be announced soon. Dekker himself hopes to ride the Vuelta this year (which would suggest that the move to the pro team could come pretty fast).
 
just some guy

just some guy

Apr 9, 2011
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I´m pretty sure that Dekker was trying to sign with Garmin before he ended up at Lotto - Vaughters did not sign him due to blood values.

Why they wouldsign him now is strange but they have Millar so maybe it part of helping him come back .

stage 1 admit what you did

stage 2 do time

stage 3 have talent

I am a fan of Dekker T recon he has talent would be good to see him back.
 
Michele

Michele

Mar 26, 2009
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I remember hearing from the Cervelo italian dealer that at the time of Cervelo team they wouldnt sign any italian or spanish guys cause they didnt want to ruin their image (with doping).
 
boomcie

boomcie

Feb 15, 2011
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Yeah, but Millar rode with anoher team (Saunier Duval) first and profiled himself as some kind of "crusader" against doping.
 
Ryo Hazuki

Ryo Hazuki

Mar 31, 2010
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very good choice for him and I'm verry happy. he's the most talented cyclist from the netherlands in the past 15 years and has way more potential than gesink.
 
Angliru

Angliru

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Dekker_Tifosi said:
Well Dekker actually managed to WIN races like the Tirreno and Romandie. Where Gesink usually ****s up something
Click to expand...

How high did Dekker get in the final gc of the grand tours though? Gesink first and foremost is a grand tour/stage racer. Just my opinion but he's shown way more in the grand tours than Dekker ever did.
 
Dekker_Tifosi

Dekker_Tifosi

Mar 13, 2009
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I know that, but GT's aren't all there is to this world you know.
Besides, Dekker only rode 2 GT's

1 - Giro when he was 20 years old (for crying out loud what do you expect?)
2 - Tour 2007 - working his *** off for Rasmussen and while riding with an injured hip...

So, we don't really know what he can do in GT's, he only rode 2 of them when he was very young
 
T

theyoungest

Jan 11, 2010
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movingtarget said:
Too true. He was hardly setting the world on fire when he was doping. He will never reach the level Gesink is currently at.
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For his age, he definitely was setting the world on fire... which current 22-year-olds could you see winning Romandie? Or Tirreno?

But he's two years older than Gesink, and missed almost three cycling seasons now, so you'd normally expect Gesink to be way ahead and still growing.
 
Dekker_Tifosi

Dekker_Tifosi

Mar 13, 2009
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theyoungest said:
For his age, he definitely was setting the world on fire... which current 22-year-olds could you see winning Romandie? Or Tirreno?

But he's two years older than Gesink, and missed almost three cycling seasons now, so you'd normally expect Gesink to be way ahead and still growing.
Click to expand...
Indeed, plus riding top 5 in every ardennes classics bar LBL (6th).
For 1-week races and classics he was already near/at the top.

For GT's..like I said, he only rode two. It's too bad so much went wrong with him. Now Gesink is definately ahead. But if Dekker gets back at top level in 2012/2013, I think Dekker is overall a more complete rider than Gesink. Always was.
 
L

Lanark

May 12, 2010
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Dekker_Tifosi said:
Indeed, plus riding top 5 in every ardennes classics bar LBL (6th).
For 1-week races and classics he was already near/at the top.

For GT's..like I said, he only rode two. It's too bad so much went wrong with him. Now Gesink is definately ahead. But if Dekker gets back at top level in 2012/2013, I think Dekker is overall a more complete rider than Gesink. Always was.
Click to expand...
That's the big question mark of course, I have serious doubts he is ever gonna reach that level again, but in his prime he was certainly a very complete rider, better sprint than Gesink, better time trial, a decent punch uphill (and someone much more confident under pressure during a race).

But despite only riding two GT's is his life, his other results don't give the impression he was a climber anywhere close to Gesink's level. A few good results on medium mountains in Swiss races, but never a great climber. I doubt he will be now.
 
Dekker_Tifosi

Dekker_Tifosi

Mar 13, 2009
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More a Tony Martin like climber, I know.
He is never able to do well in giro mountains.

But in some softer Tour versions or Vuelta, Dekker could do well.
But I don't worry about the top level. In physical tests last autumn he was already at 95% of his top-level...
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I don't like the cycling news article on this though. Vaughters set Dekker up a bit by putting out the "he hasn't finished the physiological testing we asked" to the public. It sets Dekker up because what JV is done is say "If he is clean based on the tests, we will hire him. But if he isn't hired...well...." Maybe he hasn't completed the testing because he might also ride for someone else?

I do like that Vaughters is offering a ride to him though. The guy served his suspension and deserves to ride again. Based on his talent and age, he has nothing but good to bring to any team. It also seems he might be getting the cold shoulder that some riders do (and some don't) when they return. Makes you wonder if maybe riders that are not willing to get back in the game with all of their circulatory system get nothing from some teams. Certainly Lampre would not want a rider such as that...
 
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