He held on in the attack longer than your man Phillie. And he also hung on in the favorite group for a really long time, until 2km to goEl Pistolero said:
-
The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to
In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.
Thanks!
Van Houwelingen says that Gesink couldn't bite through the pain that is necessary to ride uphill... it does seem like a mental more than a physical thing. Like I said somewhere earlier in this thread, it's a pity to see Holland's best cyclist not enjoying what he's doing. Please give this guy a sabbatical, and let him return next year with motivation and hunger.
Rabo fail at it's best.El Pistolero said:
The Tour is so important for them, they are willing to screw their leader for the Vuelta just to have some more Tour exposure / hoping for a stage win
Dekker_Tifosi said:
I was watching the race thread after Phil caught the chasers in the descend. The only time I saw him was his attack on Tourmalet. Didn't watch the ascend of Luz Ardiden all that much actually, last 5km maybe.
No one in Holland cares about the Vuelta. Failed tour = failed season, that's just how it is in the opinion of the general public.Dekker_Tifosi said:
theyoungest said:
What's with all the doomsday thinking?
The guy fell in a race where you have to be in top shape. Due to the fall he isn't in top shape and he can't hang on. You ever tried dishing out 400 watts on a bike with a bruised back? His body needs energy to heal, and to race and there just isn't enough energy for both. The dutch people on this forum seem to be huge Gesink fans but at the same time they are jumping to conclusions about what's wrong with him, it's getting old. He'll be back on top in the Vuelta (if he races).
Gesink hasn't been where he ought to be mentally all season long, which is understandable given the terrible events that transpired prior to the beginning of this season. However, if it wasn't for his improved time trialing which resulted in two podium places and a win at 3 different stage races it would be a completely failed season. He needs some time off indeed me thinks. I'm all for Kruijswijk and Kelderman next year. Let's see if they find a way to screw it up.
they probably will.. its in our blood 
.. but ontopic, its hard to imagine what Gesink is feeling right now.. dunno if its mentally or physically i just hope he gets better..
He showed good form at the Dauphiné, i'm just a bit depressed we didnt get to see that form today(or in this tour for that matter). If he continues i just hope he gets there before the end else it would have been wiser to quit..
Hmm this thread can continue in the vuelta it seems.. if VDB2 heals up in time, which i hope he does..
.. but ontopic, its hard to imagine what Gesink is feeling right now.. dunno if its mentally or physically i just hope he gets better.. He showed good form at the Dauphiné, i'm just a bit depressed we didnt get to see that form today(or in this tour for that matter). If he continues i just hope he gets there before the end else it would have been wiser to quit..
Hmm this thread can continue in the vuelta it seems
.. if VDB2 heals up in time, which i hope he does..
It's just not his season so far.
He had bad luck before but always fought back and performed well. This season he has been 'strange' all season long. Also in interviews and such. Something is wrong.
He had bad luck before but always fought back and performed well. This season he has been 'strange' all season long. Also in interviews and such. Something is wrong.
i heard contador has mental strength lessons on sale so gesink should take the chance and get them cheap
Watching tour du jour now and they are discussing Gesink. Weening is talking a lot of jibber jabber, seems like he doesn't know what to say about Robert. Just because he has had good results in past GT's does not mean that it couldn't be a mentality issue now. Things are different now compared to last year, he has more reason to crack on a psychological level. He also said that because of the unfortunate passing of his father he didn't train enough in the winter to have a normal - by Gesink's standards - basic fitness level going into the start of the season. Therefore he had to compensate when he went into his altitude trainings and as a result might have over-trained.
I'm all for Kruijswijk this year. Bring on the Vuelta!Spine Concept said:
Kelderman won't ride a GT next year, obviously.
Easy to say...
But don't forget Gesink lost his father and then pulled his family this winter. He even started training later than normally. Pieter Weening just said in Dutch Tour program Tour du Jour that in december Gesink was still working at his family farm taking care of a lot of business which his dad used to do.
Might also be the reason why it doesn't go well now. Too small base for this season. Hard training causes good form in beginning months. Then in july the lack of base training/form catches up with him, in combination with his fall.
But don't forget Gesink lost his father and then pulled his family this winter. He even started training later than normally. Pieter Weening just said in Dutch Tour program Tour du Jour that in december Gesink was still working at his family farm taking care of a lot of business which his dad used to do.
Might also be the reason why it doesn't go well now. Too small base for this season. Hard training causes good form in beginning months. Then in july the lack of base training/form catches up with him, in combination with his fall.
My condolences to our Dutch friends. I know there was a lot of justified hope in his performance. An unfortunate series of events has knocked him out.
However since there are about 5-6 years remaining till i become a Gesink fan, Ill remind you that you can take solace in a lot of things.
Of all the contenders Gesink has by far the longest career ahead of him.
He has 10 years of challenging at Grand Tours left in him.
This was not his year. Even if he was on form he wasnt going to beat Andrew. There will come a time when Gesink will be stronger and Andrew weaker but it was not this year.
Also for you lot the pain is over, for this year
However since there are about 5-6 years remaining till i become a Gesink fan, Ill remind you that you can take solace in a lot of things.
Of all the contenders Gesink has by far the longest career ahead of him.
He has 10 years of challenging at Grand Tours left in him.
This was not his year. Even if he was on form he wasnt going to beat Andrew. There will come a time when Gesink will be stronger and Andrew weaker but it was not this year.
Also for you lot the pain is over, for this year
The Hitch said:My condolences to our Dutch friends. I know there was a lot of justified hope in his performance. An unfortunate series of events has knocked him out.
However since there are about 5-6 years remaining till i become a Gesink fan, Ill remind you that you can take solace in a lot of things.
Of all the contenders Gesink has by far the longest career ahead of him.
He has 10 years of challenging at Grand Tours left in him.
This was not his year. Even if he was on form he wasnt going to beat Andrew. There will come a time when Gesink will be stronger and Andrew weaker but it was not this year.
Also for you lot the pain is over, for this year
The objective was never to win the tour, but to podium with Andrew most likely finishing ahead of him.
TeamSkyFans said:Well this thread ended up being a bit of an anti climax didnt it.
Understatement of the season, as Sky probably know all too well.
Gesink says there is no way he is going to give up. "I can't do that for myself and for all the guys that worked hard for me."
He will most likely try to save some energy the next stages and try to go for a stage win in the final week. "Now that it has no use for me to cling on anymore I can maybe save energy and recuperate and do something in the final week."
He will most likely try to save some energy the next stages and try to go for a stage win in the final week. "Now that it has no use for me to cling on anymore I can maybe save energy and recuperate and do something in the final week."
Dekker_Tifosi said:
That's idiotic. You'd help these guys by dropping out, so that they don't have to work for his sorry *** anymore and go for stages on their own. Or even better help them get stages. What's it to them if Gesink wins a stage?
If you lose 17 minutes you should really give up.
He doesn't say the others have to work for them. He even said "Now we have a nice team that can go on the attack".
Nobody has to work for Gesink anymore, he re-iterated that
I thought that would be logical. But apparently you can't think?
Nobody has to work for Gesink anymore, he re-iterated that
I thought that would be logical. But apparently you can't think?
It's just not funny anymore... there's a Dutchie in the polka dots and he gets driven off the road, there's a Dutchie in white and he has all the bad luck you could think of, there's a Dutchie who could possibly contend for white but who is sick, there's another Dutchie who could contend for white but who is sick and went home already, there's a few Dutchies who couldn't climb a mountain if their life depended on it... from now on I support Spanish cycling.
In this sport we are cursed for now. Even with all the talent in the world they keep having bad luck
It's times like these I think. "Why didn't I become a korfbal supporter"
It's times like these I think. "Why didn't I become a korfbal supporter"
Did you not notice Gesink signaling Barredo to go back to the bunch instead of waiting on him?El Pistolero said:
TRENDING THREADS
-
-
Paris - Roubaix 2024, one day monument, April 7- Started by Dreginald
- Replies: 2K
-
-
-
Tour of the Alps 2024 (April 15 - 19)- Started by Devil's Elbow
- Replies: 277
-
Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2024 (March 18-24)- Started by Devil's Elbow
- Replies: 2K
-
De Ronde van Vlaanderen (270.8 km), 2024 March 31 (Sunday)- Started by Netserk
- Replies: 1K
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram