What is wrong with Gesink?

[Havetts]

See the thread title, he was in a real good position at the Mur starting around 6th, then just drops away so easily at the start and slowly climbs his way to 14th.

Has his TT improvement taken such a toll on his climbing? It's kind of starting to worry me, surely Im not the only one?

 

[roundabout]

And Gilbert is going to win the Tour i suppose.

I'll start worrying when Gesink begins to have problems on proper climbs.

 

[El Pistolero]

And Gilbert is going to win the Tour i suppose.

I'll start worrying when Gesink begins to have problems on proper climbs.

One of them will wear the maillot jaune and it isn't Gesink

On a more serious note, I think Gesink will do just fine at the Tour. No steep stuff there.

 

[Cobblestoned]

Do we really need those "rider x / team y sucked"-threads, as soon as finishline is crossed ?

I don't see any problem here, cause Gesink is a tall and "heavy" man, and will probably never win Fleche.

You shouldn't call this climbing, since it is "just" short steephilling in the ardennes.

 

[The Hitch]

One of them will wear the maillot jaune and it isn't Gesink

On a more serious note, I think Gesink will do just fine at the Tour. No steep stuff there.

Pisti. What do you think stage 1 looks like?

 

[Barrus]

See the thread title, he was in a real good position at the Mur starting around 6th, then just drops away so easily at the start and slowly climbs his way to 14th.

Has his TT improvement taken such a toll on his climbing? It's kind of starting to worry me, surely Im not the only one?

I thought he was further back than 6th, the first Raborider was Martens I think, Gesink was already further back, or am I wrong?

Also Gesink, in my mind is not really the explosive climber, but really someone who is a lot better on longer climbs

 

[Bordercollie1]

Funny, I saw his placing and thought what good shape he was in.

Gesink does not have the sort of jump or power that would suit a Fleche, Amstel or Liege win. He is not punchy like a Jalabert, Cunego, Valverde Gilbert, Bartoli etc

That he can get a good placing is a good sign for the Tour. I think the Tour riders need to be going well in the Ardennes, but don't need scorching hot form.

 

[El Pistolero]

Pisti. What do you think stage 1 looks like?

2km at 4.5% average.

Last 500 meters @7.5%

There's really only 4 names for a finish like that:

Tintin, Bala verde, Purito and Phil.

A Valverde vs Phil showdown would have been great here. Can't wait till his ban ends.
And I don't know about Tintin, is he still going to race or what? He's old, but doesn't seem to hold him back.

 

[will10]

Do we really need those "rider x / team y sucked"-threads, as soon as finishline is crossed ?

I don't see any problem here, cause Gesink is a tall and "heavy" man, and will probably never win Fleche.

You shouldn't call this climbing, since it is "just" short steephilling in the ardennes.

He was fourth as a neo-pro aged 20.

 

[Ferminal]

Expected nothing from him, just doesn't seem to be up there with the best on these steep finishes. Maybe he will develop it, but it's no problem if he doesn't.

Do our Gesink fanboys think he will ever develop into one of the top Ardennes riders?

 

[Havetts]

Expected nothing from him, just doesn't seem to be up there with the best on these steep finishes. Maybe he will develop it, but it's no problem if he doesn't.

Do our Gesink fanboys think he will ever develop into one of the top Ardennes riders?

Personally, I dont think that he'll really be an ardennes specialist. But I expected better from him than 16th when he was so placed really high when he was 20.

As for the steep parts, I dont really know if the long really steep climbs suit him. He lost the around the same amount of time on the Tourmalet this year as on the Angliru in 2008.

 

[Cobblestoned]

He was fourth as a neo-pro aged 20.

Interesting.

What now ?

 

[Lanark]

Peaked too early, happens a lot at Rabobank.

 

[theyoungest]

See the thread title, he was in a real good position at the Mur starting around 6th, then just drops away so easily at the start and slowly climbs his way to 14th.

Has his TT improvement taken such a toll on his climbing? It's kind of starting to worry me, surely Im not the only one?

He's had a great season so far, beyond expectations really if you see what he's gone through in the winter... and while he's not going great in the Ardennes, it's not exactly bad either.

He said he had motivational problems in the Tirreno, he couldn't focus and couldn't be bothered taking the risks to position himself in the peloton, and I reckon some of that is still bothering him. He just seems slightly off it, he'll get there eventually.

Peaked too early, happens a lot at Rabobank.

I'm not sure if beating EBH and Devenyns on a 6 k climb is due to peaking too early, or to the fact that you're the only decent climber in the front group.

 

[Carl0880]

He has also been racing since the Tour of Oman, maybe he just misjudge things a little for the Ardennes, peaking a little early. Just chalk it up as a bad year.

I would hold off on his potential on classics until next year and if he has similiar struggles then maybe that is an indicator. It was only 2-3 years ago he finished Top 5 in Fleche.

 

[hrotha]

Peaked too early, happens a lot at Rabobank.

If I'm not mistaken, he planned to peak for Amstel, but his climbing has been going downhill since Tirreno. It doesn't add up.

 

[Lanark]

If I'm not mistaken, he planned to peak for Amstel, but his climbing has been going downhill since Tirreno. It doesn't add up.

He planned to peak at Amstel, but peaking at the right time is allways difficult. We know he trained extra hard in the winter to be good at Oman, because he wanted a quick win for his father. He claims in Tirreno he was physically the best he's ever been, but he had big mental issues that kept him from showing it on the road. If you accept those those statements, and see how his results have gone from there, it seems really likely he was at his best during the Oman-Tirreno period, stil good during the Basque Country period (although not as good as before), and getting worse ever since.

 

[theyoungest]

If I'm not mistaken, he planned to peak for Amstel, but his climbing has been going downhill since Tirreno. It doesn't add up.

Of course, if it's really due to peaking at the wrong moment, this wouldn't be the first time either. This trainer they have at Rabo, Louis Delahaye, I don't know if any of the riders under his supervision have ever really excelled at the moment when they wanted to. Maybe it's time for Rabo to look for some other expertise in the field.

I mean, it's the Freires and the Menchovs who are always strong at the right moment... the ones who don't give a toss about Delahaye's training schedules.

 

[El Pistolero]

Did anyone expect Gesink to win an Ardennes classic anyway?

Perhaps he peaked too early, but what matters most is the peak for the Tour and he can still get that one right.

 

[theyoungest]

Did anyone expect Gesink to win an Ardennes classic anyway?

Perhaps he peaked too early, but what matters most is the peak for the Tour and he can still get that one right.

Well, maybe not win one, but to actually get better at Ardennes racing rather than worse.

Gesink is always at his best straight after a long intensive training period, and that's what he has planned right before the Tour, so let's hope he gets that one right.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

2km at 4.5% average.

Last 500 meters @7.5%

There's really only 4 names for a finish like that:

Tintin, Bala verde, Purito and Phil.

.

Who's tintin ?

 

[hrotha]

Of course, if it's really due to peaking at the wrong moment, this wouldn't be the first time either. This trainer they have at Rabo, Louis Delahaye, I don't know if any of the riders under his supervision have ever really excelled at the moment when they wanted to. Maybe it's time for Rabo to look for some other expertise in the field.

I mean, it's the Freires and the Menchovs who are always strong at the right moment... the ones who don't give a toss about Delahaye's training schedules.

Yes, the bit about Oman is true, but it's hard to believe he simply mistimed his peak. If he was at his best at Tirreno, that means he mistimed it by 40 days. I hope that's the case, but I can't help but think the most likely explanation right now is that his climbing has suffered because of his bigger ITT focus.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

the guy seem to be a climber only now. he shouldn't even be doing these races anymore and focus only on gt's.

 

[theyoungest]

Yes, the bit about Oman is true, but it's hard to believe he simply mistimed his peak. If he was at his best at Tirreno, that means he mistimed it by 40 days. I hope that's the case, but I can't help but think the most likely explanation right now is that his climbing has suffered because of his bigger ITT focus.

I don't know if he's actually been training excessively on his TT bike, he's just changed his position and his gearing. I think his less than stellar climbing is mainly due to his less than stellar form.

It was always something of a mystery why Gesink couldn't excel at time trials, he produces more watts than some of the better time trialists at Rabobank.

 

[El Pistolero]

Who's tintin ?