The fantastic performance of the Rabobank Pro Team in the Vuelta in general and Bauke Mollema (photo) in particular was marked on Sunday with Bauke being awarded the green points jersey. Before the last stage, the Rabobank rider had an equal number of points (115) to Joaquin Rodriguez in that classification. Mollema threw himself completely into the bunch sprint in Madrid, while Rodriguez bowed out of a direct duel. The Rabobank rider then came in ninth and that was enough to ensure the green jersey in the Spanish tour. Peter Sagan won the final stage. Juan Jose Cobo's final victory was no longer in danger, Bauke remained fourth in the classification.

This is the fifth time that a Dutch rider has won the points jersey in this Spanish race and Bauke is the fourth Dutch rider to manage this. Bas Maliepaard (1963), Jos van der Vleuten (1966) and Jan Janssen (1967 and 1968) won it before him. He is the first Rabobank rider to capture the Spanish points jersey. In 2005 Denis Menchov came third in the battle for the green, and second in 2007. In both years the Russian won the final classification with the Rabobank team.

'More complete tour'
For Erik Dekker, the green jersey is also a welcome reward. "While it doesn't make the race immediately nicer for us, but it does make it a bit more complete." The team leader said that the world would not have ended had Bauke not won the green. "But it is a great finish. For everyone who fought so hard on our team, this is a wonderful finish, from the bus driver to the leading rider. All of them have made a fantastic contribution to an absolutely great tour, in which we counted every day. It's that especially that makes this such a rich experience."

The first day actually did not go so well during the the time trial, when the team did not do so well and to the surprise of the team leader lost a relatively large amount of time. "That was a flop, but was immediately made up for on the second day when Paul Martens very cleverly got the mountain jersey. I won't say directly that this was the the cause, but then a certain energy came into the team then and remained for the duration of the race. Then Bauke started to play a prominent role in the classification and this also raised the team's spirits. As a collective we functioned excellently and Bauke was incredibly strong as the leading rider and captain. He has surprised me particularly with his leadership and alertness. No, Bauke left nothing to chance."

Exciting last day
So they still managed to get a prize, because in the dance for the stage victory, the Rabobank team was certainly close a few times, but just missed out. Dekker: "Of course we had bad luck, that with Oscar Freire and Matti Breschel we lost our two finishers. They were the guys for the stage victories. Bauke himself still had the feeling that he missed his chance in the stage that was won by Daniel Martin, when he himself captured the red jersey. But ultimately this green one is very very good for us." Before the stage, it had already been agreed that Bauke would get his points in the final sprint, and not through the interim sprints. Rodriguez did not get involved in this, but sent his team mates, who only got in Mollema's way. "And it was also exciting because he had to finish among the first fifteen, but Bauke did really really well."

'Green was not an adjective'
Bauke Mollema himself was also surprised about the prize he finally won. "I only really started thinking about it over the last few days. Green was not an objective at the start of this Vuelta. As a climber you don't really think this, it's more something for sprinters. But when this prize started to look more and more possible in the last week, naturally we started to ride for it. It was also pretty tense in the final stage, because you have to end in the top fifteen of a bunch sprint. That's not so easy." However, Rodriguez was no longer sprinting with him. "When I looked around at the finish and didn't see him there, I knew I was okay. The icing on the cake!"

Two Rabobank riders were among the leading group of 26 riders who began the last climb in the twentieth stage of the Vuelta. When this group was thinned down to eight, Carlos Barrego (photo) and Steven Kruijswijk were still there. And Barredo rode alone in front at the top of the climb. Nevertheless, there were still fifty kilometres to go on the wide roads, which made it an almost impossible mission. Barredo held the group for a long time, also when Carlos Sastre joined him from the peloton. But a sprint was inevitable, and Daniele Bannati won this one. After the race, Barredo was awarded the prize for the most combative rider.

Bauke Mollema finished ninth, two places before wearer of the green jersey Joaquin Rodriguez. Both riders came through at 115 points. Because Rodriguez has achieved two stage victories and Mollema none, the Spaniard is holding onto the green jersey. With just one stage to go, the battle for the points classification is extraordinarily exciting. Also, differences are still very small at the top of the general classification, which means the traditionally calm last stage could very easily become a full-on battle.

'This stage shows just how eager the team is'
When the leading group of 26 riders was created, team leader Jan Boven saw there were two Rabobank riders among them. "There was a major battle early in the stage and that was how the leading group was created," said Boven. "When that eventually worked out, it was a group of 26. That's actually too large, but during the last climb of the day eight got away, with Steven and Carlos among them. And Carlos got away at the top. For someone riding alone, the wide roads that followed were something of a shock, but he kept going for a long time. And yes, Sastre did come along and eventually also passed him out, But Carlos still got a lot closer than we had expected."

With STeven Kruijswijk and Carlos Barredo, the team participated for the stage win for a long time, but Jan Boven was pleased they rode in front for another reason. "Naturally we wanted to have a shot at winning today, but we also wanted to have people in front in case the favourites would try anything during that last climb. They would be able to help Bauke out. Ultimately that was not necessary, but it was also a reason to stay at the front. It was a pity that we didn't get the stage win, but this stage shows once more just how eager the team is."

'Battle doesn't end till after the finish'
The final stage of this Vuelta is scheduled for Sunday. Where usually this stage would not have so many surprises, Sunday could be very different. The differences are small in various classifications, also in the battle for the points classification. "We will certainly have a fight on our hands tomorrow, now that Bauke is level with Rodriguez," said Jan Boven. "There are still two interim sprints and still points on the finish line, so we will still try to avail of these. Bauke is in the very nice fourth place in the general classification, but of course you also want to win that green jersey. In the final stage like this it will be difficult, but the battle won't end until after the finish line in Madrid."

Because Joaquin Rodriguez was forced to let the thinned-out peloton go on the last climb of the 19th stage of the Vuelta, Rabobank rider Bauke Mollema still had a chance in the sprint to make up somewhat for the green jersey. Nevertheless, tenth place did not provide quite enough points for this, Mollema is now two points behind. Little changed in the top ten. Juan Jose Cobo has remained in the lead, Mollema has held onto fourth place. Igo Anton claimed the stage victory by losing his fellow breakaway riders after a long run and crossing the finish line solo.

For the first time in 33 years, there was once again a stage through the Basque country in the Vuelta programme. There it can also come as no surprise that Euskaltel had set its sights there. Early in the stage Bauke Mollema was third in an interim sprint, but Rodriguez came first and increased his lead by a few points. Basque riders Igor Anton and Gorka Verdugo started out the breakaway run of the day and then brought two riders with them. In the final part the Alto El Vivero had to be conquered twice, which thinned out the peloton considerably. Nevertheless, Anton held his ground and saved his Vuelta with the stage victory in his hinterland.

'Temperatures of 40 degrees'
Despite its relatively short length, the nineteenth stage turned out to be a tough race. "The riders had to cope with temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius," said team leader Erik Dekker. "After the finish, the one exclamation you kept hearing was: 'It's so warm!' And still the tempo remained considerably high. From a symbolic standpoint, it is of course nice that Anton has won this stage victory. In any case the two Basque riders rode fantastically, but when you win on your own territory, it is of course that bit nicer. Certainly as the Vuelta hasn't been here in a long time."

Bauke Mollema ultimately came in just three points short of winning back the green jersey, but he did make up ground. "And then this wasn't even Bauke's best day, he was feeling this himself," said Erik Dekker. "He was feeling pretty tired after the first climb of the Vivero. But it was the same for everyone, from what you could see on the second climb. The riders waited till halfway up the second climb to attack." Steven Kruijswijk could assist his leading rider for a long time, in any case. "Steven had a really good day, better that the last mountain stages. I am happy that he is once again improving towards the end of this tour," said Dekker.

'Final forty kilometres of Basque flatness'
Whether Bauke Mollema will get another shot at the green jersey, Erik Dekker will just wait and see. "Naturally it's a pity, but the feeling of having survived yet another difficult stage initially prevails and we another day closer to Madrid, with this fourth place. It may still be possible tomorrow, because that's another very tough stage. The last forty kilometres are flat Basque Country. Not very difficult, but not like a billiard cloth either. It is a traditional stage from the Tour of the Basque Country, in which the final part is ridden on a plateau. We will see, but if I were a rider, I would want to be with a breakaway group. There is a very good chance that it would hold its ground." concludes Dekker.

With Luis Léon Sanchez (photo) the Rabobank ProTeam had a rider in the breakaway who would be able to keep going until the finish, but unfortunately Sanchez had such problems with his stomach that he eventually had to let the group go. He was the only Rabobank rider in the group of seventeen and thus the chance for a stage victory was gone. Because Joaquin Rodriguez was also there and gathering points for the green jersey along the way, Bauke Mollema lost this after just one day. The stage was won by Fransesco Gavazzi, who broke away in the final part with Kristof Vandewalle and defeated him in the sprint. Juan José Cobo remains in the lead.

The route was ideal for a breakaway that would last, so having another rider with you was the way to go. The second attempt was successful and with Luis Léon Sanchez, the Rabobank team was represented at the front. Nevertheless, Sanchez had had problems with his stomach the previous day and appeared to also be suffering from the same complaint this Thursday. He finally had to let his fellow breakaway riders go. Bauke Mollema had a flat tyre in the descent from the final climb, but this was dealt with very well by quickly taking Carlos Barredo's bike and taking back his own bike after the final descent.

'Sanchez could barely eat anything during the race'
"The stage wasn't great for us today," concluded team leader Erik Dekker. "Rodriguez was with them and able to get points to take the green from Bauke, and Luis Léon was still not in good form. He could barely eat anything during the race, and eating is necessary in cycling. Today was more a day for Paul Martens or Carlos Barredo, but Luis Léon was probably trying to save his team mates in the beginning by breaking away with them. And the second attempt was successful. In retrospect Luis Léon might not have been the right man, but this is how it went. No mistakes were made, but it might have worked out differently."

As already stated, Bauke Mollema lost the green jersey after just one day, but the Rabobank team has had possession of all the jerseys in this Vuelta. Paul Martens wore the mountain jersey at the start and Bauke Mollema has worn the green, the combination, and the red jersey. "It will be difficult to recapture the green jersey," anticipates Erik Dekker. "Luckily for Bauke, Rodriguez is just eighth in the result, but even so it will be difficult to make up the distance. Even though this loss is no disaster, it is a pity, of course."

Doing their best to win as stage
The coming two days will give breakaway riders more opportunities to stay away. There are two more tough stages awaiting the peloton. "On both days the course might be that bit more difficult than it was today," says Erik Dekker. "In the final part tomorrow, the same tough climb must be conquered twice and on Saturday there will be another first-category climb on the programme, after which riders remain riding at high altitude after reaching the top. In addition, riders around the 15th, 25th place will still want to go up some places with such a breakaway. But whatever happens, we will do our very best to win ONE of these stages."

Despite the fact that the seventeenth stage was the longest in this Vuelta, the peloton pulled out all the stops and zoomed through the race at very high speed. None of the leading groups ever got much of a head start and they were all still together with just thirty kilometres to go. The final climb was the last uphill finish of this Vuelta and this goaded the favourites into outdoing themselves. Ultimately the first and second to come in where the two fighting for the stage victory and the classification. Christopher Froome won the stage, but Juan Jose Cobo held onto the red. Bauke Mollema finished very strongly in third place and took the lead in the point classification and got the green jersey.

Rabobank rider Carlos Barredo did manage to break away with twenty-seven men in this fast race, but the peloton did not really give any room to anyone attempting to break away. It was clear that many teams had this last uphill climb in this Tour of Spain in their sights. The differences in the top of the classification were still small, which explained the fireworks in this final climb. Froome eventually tried to take the red leader's jersey from Cobo with last-ditch attack, but the stage victory was not enough to achieve this. Bauke Mollema gained more time on number three Bradley Wiggins, but not enough to pass him out. However, Mollema did win the green jersey.

'Always watch for your chances'
"Third place was a nice result," said team leader Erik Dekker. "You always want to win, but the numbers one and two were outstanding. If you manage to come in third in such a bizarre stage, you can be satisfied with that." Bauke Mollema gained some time against Wiggins, but not enough to come up a place. "Naturally you try to pass Wiggins out, but you can't be sure when the other falls behind. The distance is currently still 24 seconds and it will be difficult to catch up in the coming stages. But you have to keep your eyes and ears open all the time, and watch for your chances."

Through his third place and Joaquin Rodriguez falling back on the last climb, Bauke Mollema could collect the green jersey after the day's race. "This is a nice green jersey," Erik Dekker concluded. "Tomorrow Bauke won't be able start the race in white anyway, so it is time for a new jersey." According to Dekker, it isn't yet a certainty that Mollema will be wearing this jersey in Madrid.  "It's not that he doesn't have a chance, but there are still races to come that would suit the likes of Peter Sagan very well, for example. Bauke himself may decide to what extent this is an objective, but the battle for third place is more important."

'Bauke has been on the ball for the entire Vuelta'
"Now we are getting three stages with opportunities for breakaway riders. Exhaustion is starting to creep up on everyone, in this regard the speed of today's stage was quite surprising. But Liquigas, for example, could very easily play the Sagan card and want to keep everything together," said Erik Dekker. Nevertheless he is very pleased with Bauke Mollema's form and is still hoping for a surprise. Bauke has been on the ball for the entire Vuelta, today he was at the front all day. And if you can manage to be third across the line in such a tough finish in the last week of a big race like this, you're good."

The sixteenth stage of the Vuelta was a typical sprint stage that progressed in a classical manner. The only surprise was the roundabout 300 metres from the finish line, which immediately threw the sprint. Because the right-hand side was not closed off, it was not clear to some riders that they were meant to go left around it. Juan Jose Haedo benefited from the gap he achieved and took the stage win. Top Rabobank rider Bauke Mollema rode attentively in front just like all the other top riders and crossed the finish line in nineteenth place, but a few seconds behind wearer of the red jersey Juan Jose Cobo, due to the gaps that occurred in the turmoil.

Three riders got away right at the start and the breakaway of the day was on. They achieved a maximum of eight minutes of a head start, but this head start remained constantly under control. The wind was a threat, but ultimately the peloton simply stayed closed. In the final part there was a fall, with Joaquin Rodriguez as the most serious victim. He lost ten minutes and hurt his wrist. Rabobank rider Steven Kruijswijk (photo) was also involved in this fall, but he could continue on his way without too many injuries.

'Steven's fall gave us a bit of a fright'
Team leader Erik Dekker also had a short story about this stage. "The threat of the wind was there constantly and Leopard was trying to gain the upper hand, but eventually it became a sprint. It's a pity that it got a bit thrown, but that made very little difference to us. Only Steven's fall gave us a bit of a fright, fortunately he only sustained a few scrapes. Otherwise we had no problems in this stage. Towards the end of the stage large groups of riders let the peloton pass them out and some of our riders were there too, but they didn't lose out significantly as a result.

Bauke Mollema lost a couple of seconds, due to the confusion and the the gaps in the front. Erik Dekker was resigned to this loss. "We're talking about mere seconds. It might make a difference of a placement later on, but there's very little you can do about it." Wednesday's stage will be tough, with an uphill finish. It could well be that the classification riders try something there.  "So it's another exciting day for the riders," said Dekker. "With a finish that suits Bauke very well. He certainly has the right talents for it, in any case."

The Angliru on Sunday was a very large obstacle, a bit too large for Bauke Mollema (photo). The Rabobank top rider fought for what he was worth, but five kilometres from the finish could no longer follow the pace set by Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins. And while he did manage to make up some distance in the last two kilometres, on Wiggins in particular, an impressive attack by Juan José Cobo brought Mollema down one place in the classification. The Spaniard came in solo and took over the leader's jersey. Cobo also took over the combination jersey from Mollema, who came in ninth in the stage and finished fourth place in the classification and is now 01:36 behind.

Mollema could live with the final result, however. "I got whatever I could from it. It's a pity I lost a place in the classification, but that's the way it is. I just couldn't do anything about it. Cobo was much too strong. I am happy that I have been able to keep the damage limited." Mollema felt that it was going well again on the way to the Angliru. The second-last climb, which was 5.3 kilometres long but with an average gradient percentage of more than 9%, went well for him. "I was with the better riders there. My legs were in good form at the time." The Angliru was a totally different story. "It hurt. It was incredibly tough, but this was the case for everyone. Ultimately I'm not all that dissatisfied."

Erik Dekker felt similar. "We are not really disappointed. Naturally you hope for more, dream of more. But we have to admit that we couldn't keep up with Cobo. We saw the Cobo threat yesterday. It wasn't a great surprise for us and unfortunately there wasn't enough left to start anything. Quite simply, quality was what won the race today." The team leader spoke of a 'battle for life and death'. "Before the race there were some scary stories of the Angliru going around. Bauke also heard them, but didn't let them deter him. It turned out to be a monster of a mountain pass and I think that he ultimately did well on it. The loss was kept limited."

Monfort good 'helper'
Mollema could still remain in the track of leader Wiggins, who again had Chris Froome to set his pace. The Rabobank rider was forced to allow a gap halfway through the race. "But that was very limited. That's not unusual on a mountain pass as steep as this one. It didn't get bigger for a long time, but then there was a very steep kilometre and that was where they rode further away from me." The leading rider did not panic and continued to push along at his own tempo. He had to swerve twice to avoid falling motorbikes. "But it was easy to get around them. Maxime Monfort came up to me from behind in the final two kilometres and I was very pleased about that. He rode at an excellent pace before me, so we came in reasonably well."

Mollema is now fifty seconds from the podium and five points behind the points jersey, currently being worn by Joaquin Rodriguez. Erik Dekker still sees chances. "In any case, we're not going to give up easily. Wednesday will be another nasty uphill finish. Not like the Angliru, but still nasty. We might still have a shot there. Bauke might still be able to go for the stage, with the time bonus you are automatically eligible to try out for the classification and the points jersey. It could still go any way, for us too."

The great executioner of the Vuelta is still to come on Sunday, the incredibly steep Alto di Angliru, but on Saturday Bauke Mollema (photo) did very well in any case. Rivals such as Nibali, Kessiakoff and Fuglsang lost a relatively large amount of time in the final kilometres of the steep finish. However, the Rabobank team leading rider continued to follow the tracks of classification leader Bradley Wiggins. Estonian Rein Taaramae won the stage after a long attack. The favourites followed at 45 seconds. Mollema came in seventh and climbed to third place in the general classification, at 36 seconds from Wiggins. Bauke also regained the combination jersey and in the points classification came to the three points from leader Rodriguez.

The elimination race was therefore held on Saturday. This time, the big loser was more or less the Vuelta winner of 2010, Vincenzo Nibali. On Friday the Italian was still hailed as an absolute top favourite by Albert Contador, who was visiting the Vuelta for a day. But on Friday Nibali dropped out on the final climb four kilometres from the finish, and was almost a minute and a half slower than Wiggins, Froome and Mollema. Because Kessiakoff and Fuglsang were unable to follow Froome's hard pace in the final phase, Mollema rose appreciably in the classification, from six to three. He is still 36 seconds behind the leader.

'Cobo Wiggins' biggest threat'
The focus within the Rabobank team is on the podium. "And naturally we won't leave anything to chance." This is the mindset of Erik Dekker, who feels that his leading rider is not considered by Wiggins to be his greatest threat. "I expect a major attack on the red jersey from Cobo on the Angliru and I think the guys in Team Sky will also be watching Cobo and not Bauke. And in principle this is not a bad thing for us."

Saturday's stage went exactly as the team had planned it, Dekker felt. Luis Léon Sanchez participated in the major breakaway of the day, which took place soon after the starting shot. Eighteen riders broke away. This group thinned out underway on the tough course, partly as a result of a heavy crash of Karsten Kroom and Belgian Sepp Vanmarcke, both of whom fell over the crash barrier and ended up in a small ravine. Kroon was taken to a hospital for observation. Shortly after this crash Luis Léon Sanchez dropped back from the front, but subsequently functioned as an important aid for Bauke Mollema in the group of favourites. For example, Sanchez opened the hunt after Daniel Moreno, whose attack formed a threat to his leading rider's classification placing. 

'Extremely satisfied'
At the foot of the last climb Mollema still had two helpers near him, Sanchez and Carlos Barredo. Team Sky took the initiative on that irregular climb and Chris Froome developed a killing pace, forcing the favourites to drop back one by one. Mollema held his ground. "But not without difficulty", admitted Erik Dekker. "Bauke had reached his limit, but undoubtedly that also applied to the others in that group. Wiggins wasn't finding it too easy either." Ultimately the scenario was ideal for the Rabobank team. "Naturally you always want more," laughed Dekker. But Bauke told me that in the final kilometres he really did not have anything more with which to attack in him. This was the maximum and we are extremely satisfied with it."

The first of three tough mountain stages on Friday had no noteworthy chances in the Vuelta classification, however there was a battle among the top riders. Bauke Mollema (photo) was in hot water for a while, but the team saved the leading rider with some effort. Later on Bauke was very much on the ball and reacted explosively to attacks from Joaquin Rodriguez and Vincenzo Nibali. He ultimately lost the lead in the combination classification to Daniel Moreno, who was one of twenty riders in the breakaway of the day. Swiss Michael Albasini won the sprint of twenty breakaway riders. Bauke Mollema crossed the finish line at 01:32 in the group of favourites.

Friday's stage made it clear that Bradley Wiggins' team, Team Sky, is in trouble in the mountains. The classification leader became isolated on two first-category climbs. In the second climb Joaquin Rodriguez put even more pressure on Wiggins and brought other riders with him, including Bauke Mollema. Nevertheless Wiggins got support again from the returned Christopher Froome and quickly set the record straight. Vincenzo Nibali made an attempt in the descent from the last major mountain pass. He was joined by Fuglsang, Kessiakoff and Bauke Mollema and other riders. In a group of eleven, the four top riders quickly took half a minute from the then isolated Wiggins, but he could see team mates coming back from the background.

'Sacrificed the team'
The Rabobank team also had to put all shoulders to the wheel during the first heavy climb of the day to keep leading rider Mollema in the race for the classification. A group of thirty with pretty much all of the top riders, but without Bauke, had broken away. "That was when the team had to really put the effort in. We sacrificed almost the entire team for this", said team leader Erik Dekker. "This was why we eventually had nobody left anymore in that big breakaway. But it had to be done, because the classification chances were much much in jeopardy at that time."

Over the coming weekend, with two tough mountain stage and two uphill finishes, a major battle for the final victory is expected and Bauke Mollema is still one of the contenders. On Thursday the rider even expressed his 'respect' for the incredibly steep Angliru, which is included in Sunday's stage. But Erik Dekker is not so impressed by it. "I don't think that any rider takes on the Angliru lightly. It's an absolute brute of a mountain pass. Bauke wasn't so good on the Mortirolo last year? I think the Mortirolo cannot be compared with this. There really is no comparison. As well as this, Bauke has never been in this form. We are looking forward to this weekend with confidence. It will be some fight and I definitely think we are in with a chance."

Decision is close
No matter what, Friday was another good day. Erik Dekker: "Ultmately it was. Once again Bauke was in fantastic form. The team were absolutely amazing. It's a pity Tom-Jelte and Steven fell back in the final descent, otherwise we would still have five men in the group of favourites despite everything, and that wasn't very big anymore. In any case, the team is still doing extremely well. Now we'll see what we can do this weekend and then it's the race to Madrid. I think that whoever wears the red jersey on Sunday evening is very close to the final victory."

Rabobank rider Bauke Mollema was the winner of the day among classification riders in the twelfth stage of the Vuelta. With an interim sprint to his name, and finishing in front in the sprint, he gained eleven seconds on Bradley Wiggins, who is wearing the red jersey. From a Rabobank standpoint, this was the most prestigious achievement in what was otherwise a classic sprinter's race. Four riders were able to remain in front for a while, but were caught in good time. The uphill sprint was right up Peter Sagan's alley, and this was the second stage in this Vuelta with his name on it. Paul Martens was eighth, Mollema thirteenth. Naturally he held onto the combination jersey (photo).

After just seven kilometres there was an interim sprint, during which Bauka Mollema surprised his rivals by challenging this and the accompanying time bonus seconds. It was then up to four breakaway riders to stay in front, but the sprinter teams kept everything under control and caught up with the breakaway riders ten kilometres before the finish line. In the run-up to the sprint, the Rabobank team kept Mollema well in front, so that he was able to gain more time as some holes opened up behind him. Paul Martens sprinted to a respectable eighth place.

Assumed plan
Team leader Erik Dekker made it clear that getting these time bonus points was part of an assumed plan. Fellow team leader Jan Boven had explored the first kilometres and saw that it was ideal for Bauke Mollema. "It went uphill two kilometres before the sprint, after which there was one kilometre to where the sprint was," said Dekker. "The team kept Bauke well in front going uphill and Pault Martens and Carlos Barredo took on the sprint. Nobody reacted, so that was good." It came as some surprise to Dekker that none of the other classification riders joined the fight. "You can't let a chance like that go and six seconds is a lot to gain. So it's all good!"

Bauke Mollema also gained time in the bunch sprint and for Erik Dekker, this was not totally unexpected. "The finish was difficult in such a way that we did expect there to be some gaps. Therefore Bauke was kept well in front. There was even the question whether Bauke would help Paul with his sprint, but we chose not to take any risks." Paul Martens sprinted into eighth place, but afterwards had the idea that there had been more to it. "He might have been a bit too far behind," said Dekker. "It was also a finish for him. But the decision not to let Bauke ride in front of him was a good one."

Chance for breakaway riders
Friday's thirteenth stage has some steep climbs, but the finish is far away from the last summit. An opportunity for breakaway riders so, as Erik Dekker also thinks. "If I were still a rider, that's what I would be thinking. Luis Leon Sanchez, Steven Kruijswijk even, and Paul Marten are definitely the riders who can take this on." Nevertheless, a bunch sprint should not be immediately ruled out. "If the breakaway group does not get enough of a head start because it includes someone of Kruijswijk's category, and the sprinters teams still have their sprinter in front at the top of the first category, then they could go for it. But a breakaway that remains in front, that cannot be ruled out either."

The Rabobank ProTeam showed its combative side in the eleventh stage of the Vuelta. Luis Léon Sanchez (photo) was in the breakaway of the day, which had enough space to battle it out for the prize. David Moncoutié was too strong, third place was Sanchez' part. Behind them Steven Kruijswijk, Tom-Jelte Slagter and Bauke Mollema bombarded the group of favourites with attacks, with a small amount of success, as Mollema rose one place in the classification to sixth place. He is now 47 seconds behind the new leader Bradley Wiggins. Mollema continues to hold onto the combination jersey.

After a fast start, sixteen riders broke away, Luis Léon Sanchez among them. They began with enough of a head start at the final climb to battle it out for the stage win. Moncoutié managed to break away and rode on a good minute ahead of the shrinking group of followers which included Sanchez, who eventually came in in third place. Behind him the Rabobank team was active in the group of favourites. First Steven Kruijswijk was at the front of the pack a few times, after which Tom-Jelte Slagter pushed through hard with Bauke Mollema on his wheel with just a few kilometres to go. Ultimately they did not really get away, but the favourites were broken up and Mollema gained time on some rivals.

'We did well in the race'
The Rabobank team were riding this race on two fronts, as team leader Erik Dekker also put it. "We wanted to go for the prize with Luis Léon. Yes, of course third place is still a prize, but we wanted the go for the stage victory. How the race went in this regard is fine, because it was a good group and they got enough space." As well as this, Sanchez' attach was good for the team classification. "That plays a part, naturally." said Dekker. "That was a nice incidental circumstance of such a breakaway, but the other well-placed teams also know this. They were there as well. Our focus is more on Bauke's classification. But we are not going to let this go either."

"It was a very defensive final climb," said Erik Dekker about the last uphill run of the day. "Once again, it was a large group that stayed together for quite a long time. Nevertheless we did well in the race, as you could see. Steven who tried to break it open, Tom-Jelte who gave it his all and broke away with Bauke in his wheel: a sign that we spend the rest day well and that Bauke is feeling good. The team would not have ridden so well for him otherwise." The team's efforts ultimately delivered a rise one place up the classification for Mollema. "Another step close to the jersey. With what the guys showed today, it's looking hopeful!"

'Part of the game'
Steven Kruijswijk ultimately has to pay for his efforts with the loss of a few places in the classification. He fell to twenty-fifth place, but Erik Dekker did not wish to make a big issue of this. "That is part of the game." What Tom-Jelte did was very impressive, but Steven also did what was necessary. If you attack like that, you can also sustain losses. But that's not bad, given that Bauke's classification was the objective in mind."

Thursday's race has just two short third-category climbs on the stage profile map. "Hence I'm counting on a sprint more," said Erik Dekker. "The only question here is which teams will go for it, now that there are fewer sprinters riding around in the peloton.  In any case, there will also be lots of attacking, but it isn't really a race for us. We don't have very many riders for a stage like tomorrow's on this team. For us, it's more a case of not losing energy unnecessarily."

While it may come as no surprise that Bauke Mollema (photo) would lose the leader's jersey in the Vuelta after just one day, he certainly managed to limit the damage in the time trial. He became 25th after winner Tony Martin at slightly more than three minutes, and went down to seventh place in the classification. He is one minute seven behind new leader Chris Froome, which means that a lot is still possible. Mollema is still leading in the combination classification. After Sunday, Luis Léon Sanchez was able to come back on form and rode the ninth time, Steven Kruiswijk climbed thanks to a good time trial (20th) to eighteenth place in the general classification.

Tony Martin ultimately won the time trial with superior strength. He had a minute's head start on number two Chris Froome, who in turn had enough of a head start on his rivals to win the leader's jersey. Nevertheless, where it had been expected that the classification would shape up somewhat after the time trial, it eventually turned out to be considerably limited. The first six are within a minute, with Bauke Mollema just seconds behind. With a number of tough mountain stages to go, this Tour of Spain could still go any which way.

'It's about the time'
"It was exciting to see what place Bauke would get after the time trial," said team leader Erik Dekker. "The top five we'd hoped for didn't happen, but ultimately it's all about the time. In comparison with the competition, Bauke rode a good time trial. He didn't lose much to riders like Nibali. Of course it could be better, but I am certainly not dissatisfied with this. Anyway, Bauke himself was also pleased. He's now at seventh, but the differences in the top of the classification are not all that big."

With Luis Léon Sanchez, the Rabobank ProTeam also had someone in the top ten of the day result. "Yesterday I needed to motivate Luis Léon to go for it in the time trial," admitted Erik Dekker, "but he went for it very well indeed. And naturally that's good for the team classification." With Steven Kruijswijk (20th) and Carlos Barredo (28th), the Rabobank team had four riders in the top thirty in the end. "Steven's performance was also very tidy and he is thus doing very well for the classification. Of course it is a pity about the time loss earlier in this Vuelta, but that won't change. You have to make do with what you have in front of you now."

'The team is in good form'
With Tuesday's rest day ahead, the first part of this Vuelta can be balanced and Erik Dekker looks back with a positive attitude. "The first part is done with and Bauke showed yesterday that he's up there with the best of them. The jersey might have been something of a surprise, but it was certainly merited. And the rest of the team is also in good form, so I'm feeling very confident about the remainder of this tour. The weather does appear to be turning, rain and much colder conditions are predicted for Wednesday. That's also part of it and you need to be able to deal with it if you want to ride a good classification."

Success for the Rabobank ProTeam in the Vuelta! Bauke Mollema may have just missed his first stage win in a major race by a nose, but he did manage to get his first leader's jersey. The Rabobank climber came second in the tough mountain race up a 1st-category mountain pass. He was surprised by Irishman Daniel Martin in the last 150 metres. Because of the differences with the other top riders and 12 seconds time bonus seconds, he managed to just jump past leader Joaquin Rodriguez, who passed the finish 46 seconds after Mollema and is now 1 second behind in the general classification.

The favourites let four breakaway riders get their hopes up, but the last two remaining attackers were caught on the final climb. The climb started with some attacks, during which Bauke Mollema rode extremely attentively. Steven Kruijswijk could also stay with them for a long time, but was ultimately forced to give 41 seconds. Nevertheless, with his 17th place, he climbed in the general classification to 24th place.  Bradley Wiggins set the pace in the front during the final kilometres. Mollema was watching out for his chance, but Martin was just a fraction faster with his jump.  Even so, the leader's jersey is a nice reward for Mollema.

He did not remain annoyed for long. Mollema: "That I let someone take me by surprise, that was my only mistake today. I had the legs to win the stage and I know for sure that I could have taken Daniel Martin, but I just wasn't paying attention. I paid the price for that. It's a pity, because the feeling is of course fantastic, even if things did go a little awry in the last few hundred metres. I was looking to the left and he shot past Wiggins on the right. It went slightly downhill from there. I hadn't taken this into consideration. Stupid of me, otherwise it would have been a double, but the leader's jersey in the Vuelta. I had signed on for this before the race."

'The time bonus seconds are important'
Team leader Erik Dekker was not all that surprised about Bauke Mollema's second place, but was surprised he got the leader's jersey. "Before the race I felt that Bauke would be able to get to second place in the stage, but I thought it especially surprising that Rodriguez lost contact and lost so much time. When he lost contact and later on was riding at 35 seconds, I already had the idea that it was possible if Bauke would win the race. Now he's in second place and it got a bit tighter, but luckily he still had yesterday's time bonus seconds. Those time bonus seconds are very important."

Now Mollema not only has the leader's jersey, but is also in the lead in the combination classification. With the time trial, Monday will be a very important day. "Bauke just has to ride a great time trial tomorrow and give everything he has. Then we'll see tomorrow evening if there's any damage, and if yes, how much." said Erik Dekker. "Tomorrow is going to be an important day, but it would be anyway even if Bauke hadn't won the jersey. Now he may start last and that's good. We can now enjoy the two jerseys he currently has."

Also busy with team classification
Steven Kruijswijk also had a similar race, but Luis Léon Sanchez did not have his day today. "Now that he's been put at nine minutes, the classification is definitely over for him." said Erik Dekker. "I saw it already when we drove past him and asked Carlos Barredo to ride on. With a good classification placement from him, we can still do well in the team classification. Naturally we now have a more important classification to keep us occupied, but after the time trial and rest day, I would still like to examine what we can do with this. Nevertheless, Bauke getting the leader's jersey is of course our big news of the day." 

The sting was in the tail of the eighth stage of the Vuelta and then mainly in the enormously difficult final kilometre. Just like on Wednesday, Joaquin Rodriguez once again proved to be himself unbeatable on such a finish and in addition to the race, also took the lead in the general classification. Also Rabobank rider Bauke Mollema (photo) once again showed himself to be well able for such a finish and in third position even managed to achieve a better place than in the fifth stage. After this stage, Mollema is at ninth place in the general classification.

Four riders could stay in front for long time, but it was unavoidable that the outcome would be based on the killer final kilometre. Even the few attacks during the final ten kilometres could not avoid this. After his fourth place during a comparable finish last Wednesday, all eyes in the Rabobank team were once again on Bauke Mollema, who did not damage their confidence. Rodriguez was unbeatable, but with one good punch, Mollema still achieved the third place. Behind him, Steven Kruijswijk (24th) and Luis Léon Sanchez (31st) ultimately did not lose out much either.

'The classification is now a goal'
Wednesday gave Bauke Mollema considerable confidence for this stage, he told us after the finish. "I had hoped to be able to go for the win and I also think that I did a fairly good job. I started out well in front, but unfortunately I couldn't follow Rodriguez up that very steep bit. But in the last hundred, two hundred metres, I could speed up again and still overtake two riders." The final kilometre was exceptionally tough, Mollema told us. "You come across such steep roads just once a year and in some places there are still some cobbles. It was incredibly heavy going, but this explosive type of work suits me."

Even though this climb might not be comparable to a true mountain, this result does give Bauke Mollema some hope for Sunday's stage. "Tomorrow is the first true uphill finish. The Sierra Nevada was not steep enough, then we came at it with thirty men. And Wednesday and today is still different to a mountain pass like the one we'll have tomorrow. But I hope to be with the leaders again. I feel the legs and condition are good. I have now made the classification into a goal, but as regards the stages, we'll take it one day at a time. And if I get a chance to get a stage, I will most certainly take it."

'We have two exciting days ahead of us'
Naturally team leader Erik Dekker was also pleased with Bauke Mollema's form. "Every day he's with the first fifteen, so that's very good." Steven was complaining a bit about his back, but still came in 24th. Luis Léon said himself he had a mediocre day, but 31st place isn't bad. The entire team has actually done really well, the only thing was Oscar Freire was not with them. Yesterday he was third, but immediately after the finish he was complaining about his airways. He was feeling good today, but when he speeded up he started to have problems with his breathing, and he stepped down in the provisioning."

With Sunday's closing climb and Monday's individual time trial, there are two very important days coming. "I'm expecting more fireworks tomorrow than on Sierra Nevada," said Dekker. "That was a bit of a downer. And after the time trial, the classification will have a bit more form. For now we're doing fine, despite today's performances from both Steven and Luis Léon. We have two exciting days ahead of us and I am very curious about how we will fare in the classification after Monday."

In the seventh stage of the Vuelta, Rabobank sprinter Oscar Freire (photo) seems to have found his way back. In the last chance for the sprinters before the rest day, he managed to sprint to a respectable third place, behind stage winner Marcel Kittel and Peter Sagan. Freire did not seem to be fit earlier in this Vuelta, but now appears to be improving. The sprint was further marred by a serious fall, but this did not seem to have had any influence on the result. Rabobank rider Bauke Mollema was one of the riders involved in the fall, but nobody who fell appears to have sustained any serious injury.

The stage was a classic sprinter race. Four riders broke away almost immediately in the first kilometre, and the peloton did not catch up with the last one until eight kilometres before the finish.  Prior to this, however, in the final part the peloton rode in various echelons, in which the riders of the Rabobank ProTeam remained attentive to the front. Unfortunately Carlos Barredo was another rider involved in one of the falls, but he was able to come back. His injuries do not appear to be too serious. The Rabobank team therefore seem to have been in good form in this day's stage.

'A very nice result'
"Oscar's third place has given us hope," said team leader Erik Dekker. "He indicated he wanted to participate in the sprint today and with a result of third place, was also a serious contender. However, anyone who has achieved what like Oscar has achieved is not easily satisfied with just third place, but given his form earlier in this race, it's a very nice result. He's also getting better all the time. The first few days were just seeing how it was going, yesterday Oscar indicated he wanted to try and today he said he wanted to participate. We have to maintain to this improving trend!"

The Rabobank team had two casualties in a fall, but the consequences are limited for now. "Carlos was involved in a fall at forty kilometres, but happily he was able to come back into the peloton," said Erik Dekker. He's a bit bothered by his calf muscle, so as a precaution it's been iced. And Bauke turned a beautiful somersault, but the landing wasn't exactly perfect. He has a very small scratch on his shoulder and some problems with a small muscle in his neck, so that has also been iced. Naturally you should never underestimate it, but for now it's not looking too bad."

'Seen good things'
Therefore Erik Dekker will not remember today's falls, but instead how the riders dealt with the race. "Oscar who came in third, Paul Martens who supported him very well in this, and the six team members who were in the first group when the echelons were created: I've seen some good things today.: I've seen some good things today." Saturday has another tough day scheduled. "Lots of climbing and a finish like when Rodriguez won," said Erik Dekker. "If that team takes control of the race again, it will get very tough. But Bauke came in fourth there and if he can improve on this, that's on the way to winning," said Dekker optimistically.

For the Rabobank Professional Team, Matti Breschel's (photo) fall and subsequent pulling out of the race was the story of the sixth stage in the Vuelta. In the neutralisation, Breschel hit the asphalt hard and was forced to concede the race. With regard to the rest of the race, the three best-placed Rabobank riders in the classification, Bauke Mollema, Luis Leon Sanchez and Steven Kruijswijk, ultimately managed to limit the damage. Liquigas carried out a successful coup in the descent from the final climb with four riders and Pablo Lastras. Peter Sagan won the stage. After him the favourites crossed the line in two groups. The Rabobank guys finished in the second group, just a few seconds behind the first.

Team leader Erik Dekker would have happily played the Breschel card, but could forget this after just 500 metres. In his fall Breschel broke two fingers on his left hand, sustained a bruised sternum, a nasty open wound on the chin and scrapes on his hands and knees. On Friday the Dane will fly to the Netherlands, where his broken fingers will be operated on in the Meander Medical Centre in Amersfoort.

Stone in the front wheel
On Wednesday Erik Dekker had said that he had three riders who should be able to handle this route in Matti Breschel, Carlos Barredo and Paul Martens, but his plans therefore abruptly went up in smoke. "In the neutralisation Matti got a stone in his front wheel, while he was going at a speed of around fifty kilometres an hour. He hit the ground very hard and had to be transported to the hospital for an examination. And just like that, we actually lost our man for the day."

"If Matti hadn't had to give up and Oscar Freire had been fit, we would have been happy with this race today," said Erik Dekker. "The race was controlled, but the sprinters were still forced to fall back. Oscar had indicated that we were not to ride for him, but that he did want to try. He got far, but he was outpaced in that final steep part. But however, we had to change our plans quickly, when Carlos had to waste considerable energy in the chase. And while we certainly made the effort, ultimately we were not part of the breakaway of the day."

'Losing Matti worse than the loss of a few seconds'
The race was ultimately decided in the descent from the final climb. Four riders were taken up by a Liquigas train, after which they steamed on through. Just Lastras could follow, but Peter Sagan finished it off nicely in the sprint. The Rabobank top riders finished at the back of the second part of the peloton and thus lost some seconds to the first group. "It's hard to be satisfied with this, because it would have been better if we had been in the first group," said Erik Dekker. "But I''m not dissatisfied either. Losing Matti is much worse that those few seconds we have lost now."

The fifth stage of the Vuelta had a tough route with a difficult finish, but that did not prevent the peloton from making it into a hard race. Tom-Jelte Slagter was in the group in front for a while, but no breakaway attempt had any chance whatsoever. Joaquim Rodriguez put the race in order in the last steep kilometre and claimed the stage victory for himself. Rabobank rider Bauke Mollema (photo) sprinted into a respectable fourth place and climbed to twelfth place in the classification, behind leader Sylvain Chavanel. Luis Léon Sanchez and Steven Kruijswijk also had a good day and ended with the favourites.

The pace was scorching, which meant that it took the group in front a long time to break away. Tom-Jelte Slagter eventually participated in a longer breakaway, but they did not get much space and soon lost their advantage to the others. The peloton caught up with the last breakaway riders during the final second-category climb and the top riders made it clear that the race would be among them. David Moncoutié broke away on this climb, but could not maintain his pace on the steep finish. Rodriguez was clearly the strongest, but behind him Bauke Molleme in particular appeared to have good legs.

'The toughest day so far'
With a presence in the leading ground and the three classification riders in the first group, team leader Erik Dekker is over the moon. "The team has done exceptionally well. It was a very difficult stage and it took a very long time before there was a proper breakaway. It is good to be represented there with the team, but they didn't get a lot of space." Tom-Jelte Slagter was among that group, but ultimately had a very tough day, Dekker felt. "Shortly after they caught up with him, he got a flat tyre. So he had to let the peloton go and came in late."

While Slagter was indeed the last Rabobank rider to finish, he certainly was not the last rider to cross the line. "I think I'm speaking for many riders when I say that this has been the most difficult day so far," said Erik Dekker. On Tuesday the classification riders were exhausted when they crossed the line, which is to be expected, but I think that today most riders were more worn out than they were yesterday. Riders were forced to fall behind right from the start, and they had to fight all day to be able to cross the line in good time."

'We have had a good day'
The finish of the stage was exceptionally onerous, with an extremely steep final kilometre. Joaquim Rodriguez was the strongest there, but the three best-placed Rabobank riders maintained respectable places. Even better, Bauke Mollema sprinted into fourth place and won some seconds against other favourites. "There wasn't much we could do about the winner," said Erik Dekker. "But you can rest assured we had a good day. Yesterday we won the team classification and we might be able to do this today as well. As it's going now, things are looking good."

Tuesday's first mountain stage of the Vuelta did not provide the anticipated spectacle. The final climb to Sierra Nevade turned not to be difficult enough for a major battle among the favourites. In the run-up to the last mountain pass, the Rabobank team went on the hunt after seven breakaway riders. Because of this, the difference eventually became small enough to catch up with the attackers during the climb. Steven Kruijswijk (photo) was set to attack at eight kilometres, but he didn't get any space. However, Spanish rider Moreno and Dane Sörensen did, and Moreno won the stage. Sylvain Chavanel is the new leader. Rabobank top riders Kruijswijk, Mollema and Sanchez finished with the other favourites at 11 seconds.

Steven Kruijswijk in particular, who was unlucky on Monday, was in very good form during the final climb. Nevertheless, it was not difficult enough to make any significant difference. With a length of 23 kilometres, and an average ascending percentage of slightly less than 5%, the Sierra Nevada is a 'runner', a gradually ascending hill, and that also created a defensive race. The Rabobank team seemed to want to really go for it after a hunt of 15 kilometres with seven men at the head of the peloton. But this was mainly intended to set up the team's own top riders properly at the start of the Sierra Nevada. Erik Dekker: "Juanma Garate said that the last climb started immediately after the descent from the second last climb. He took the initiative to control the peloton. And this they ultimately did very well."

Slagter's pace
This initiative remained under Rabobank control for another five kilometres. Tom-Jelte Slagter took up the command admirably in the still fairly steep early kilometres, with Kruijswijk at his wheel. Slagter's pace thinned out the group to 55 riders. This seemed to herald an attack from Kruijswijk, but this was not initially the case. Other classification riders also showed interest with the defensive race already mentioned as a result. Then there was the wait until all of the breakaway riders were rounded up. 

Later on Kruijswijk could no longer hold himself back from attacking, and eight kilometres from the finish he went up a gear. This was answered by the winner of the 2010 Vuelta Vincenzo Nibali. The Italian then pushed on, after which Kruijswijk once again called for order at the head of the Nibali group. This was actually the only duel between classification riders on the long climb. "The first part was the most difficult, that was where most of the riders fell back. Later it levelled off considerably, but it was good that Steven showed his hand. He was simply very good," said Erik Dekker.

Classification once again in sight
Bauke Mollema and Luis Léon Sanchez also held their own in the group of favourites. Mollema had no problems at all. For Sanchez it was more difficult, but it was certainly his best uphill performance for the Rabobank team to date. "That gives us confidence for this Vuelta. Luis Léon did not have much left over afterwards, he said, but he is still there. As a team, we're also in a good position with three riders in that group. Things are starting to look a whole lot better." The Rabobank top riders are now also back in the classification. Mollema climbed to 17th place at 01:19 from the new leader Sylvain Chavanel. Sanchez is a place lower in the same time. Kruijswijk is still somewhat out of the picture because of his loss of time on Monday. He is now at 32nd place at 02:42. 

Paul Martens was able to enjoy the spotted jersey for just one day. With two third-category mountain passes in the second part of the race, and a successful breakaway of four riders, the Rabobank Team couldn't do anything about it. Pablo Lastras was the over-achiever of the day, winning the race and pretty much all of the jerseys, including the mountain jersey. As distinct from that loss, the Rabobank team's push up the ranks is continuing steadily from Sunday. Matti Breschel (photo) came in sixth, within a group consisting of 43 riders of the favourites at 1:43. Bauke Mollema (11th), Luis Léon Sanchez  and Carlos Barredo were included in this group. Unfortunately for Steven Kruijswijk problems with his bike meant he had to miss this.

The team did well, but team leader Erik Dekker was seriously annoyed at the misfortune of one of his top riders and the lack of spirit among the other teams in going after the four attackers. "For us, this finish was a good opportunity with Matti Breschel, who is riding better all the time. And that Steven lost more than a minute through sheer bad luck is such a pity. He was going along very well, but at the bottom of the final climb, he had problems with his back wheel. You can't do very much about that," grumbled Dekker.

Little enthusiasm for the chase
The Rabobank team tried to chase the leading four in conjunction with Leopard Trek during the race. The team leaders saw opportunities in the final part for the swift and nimble Breschel, who on Sunday displayed his growing form. In the first part, Tom-Jelte Slagter was sacrificed in the tempo work. Later, Junama Garate also reported for duty. "But there just wasn't enough get-up-and-go among the other teams," Erik Dekker felt. "We don't have the team here to do just that. You need to have some kind of cooperation, and there wasn't any at all. It seemed to decrease even further in the last fifty kilometres of the race. People kept falling back from the head of the peloton. Then it just became work that never really got started."

Later on there was also Steven Kruijswijk's bad luck, one of the classification riders and in good form over the first two days. He was in the same form on Monday. He rode superbly, but just as the games hotted up in the group of favourites, one of the spokes in his back wheel came out. Kruijswijk's ultimate placement 01:23 behind the favourites is thus easily explained. "Not dramatic," was the team leader's assessment. "But a terrible shame. It's a considerable loss of time we can do nothing about. It's very irritating, but not nearly as irritating as it could have been if Steven couldn't have kept up. This was in no way the case. Steven was good. We are still looking forward to more surprises."

First mountain stage
Tuesday is the first major uphill finish, at an altitude of 2100 metres on Sierra Nevada, also famous as a stopping place for some high-altitude training. With regard to this first major mountain stage, in any case it was good to see that  Luis Léon Sanchez, Bauke Mollema and Carlos Barredo were following well. On the final climb, Mollema and Sanchez even remained in the front row continuously.  They didn't need to drain their strength to keep up with the leaders and Erik Dekker was also pleased about this. "Physically, the guys are in fantastic shape. They were in great form during that final climb. This doesn't mean anything for Tuesday, that's a whole other kettle of fish. But even so, it is a better indication than not being able to follow. We are curious to see the Sierra Nevada stage goes."

They didn't win today's stage, but there was still plenty to smile about in the Rabocamp on Sunday. The second day of the Vuelta went much better for the team than the start on Saturday. And there was a good result. Paul Martens (photo) played a role in the breakaway of the day and he won the mountain jersey for the team. Matti Breschel sprinted to fifth place in Playas de Orihuela and this has created confidence for the remainder of this Vuelta. However, the situation around Oscar Freire has remained sightly worrying. The Spaniard is having problems with his airways and that prevented him from playing a part in the bunch sprint. Team leader Erik Dekker expects that Freire will simply continue with the race.

Paul Martens' success quickly ensured that the mood within the team perked up. The German had set his sights on the mountain jersey. The only obstacle of the stage appeared early, a third-category climb. "Paul wanted to try for the mountain jersey and we thought this was a good idea. You have to create your own opportunities, and one such possibility is a mountain jersey." Erik Dekker watched Martens grab a place in an attack with four riders. The quartet quickly achieved a satisfying head start of a few minutes, and on the actual climb, the Rabobank rider was by far the fastest with his sprinter qualities.

The team enjoyed watching this, as they were well on course in the stage and a nice prize to boot. Dekker: "Then you start hoping that the group rides further on, for up to ten minutes or so. With Paul there, you stand a good chance of winning. But when the gap was just six minutes, the peloton started the chase and then we still had to ride for two more hours. Then you actually know the result already, but the initial intention was to go for the mountain jersey, then it isn't such a huge disappointment when the breakaway is over."

'The Matti card'
It still wasn't clear going into the unavoidable bunch sprint which rider the Rabobank team would get behind. The finish, with its steep climb close to the finish line, was ideal for Oscar Freire on paper. "We were also waiting for a while, but at a certain point Oscar himself indicated that it wasn't his day. Then we played the Matti card," explained the team leader.  The Dane was guided to the front by Carlos Barredo and Breschel kept in a good position in the first row on the vicious climb, where many sprinters lost out. Nevertheless, in the sprint he came up a bit short, but in any case the fifth place was encouraging.

"There aren't many true sprinters' finishes in this Vuelta. So this performance by Matti is a good sign for more", says Erik Dekker hopefully. The Dane said himself that he was feeling good. Certainly much better than Saturday. This was not the case with Oscar Freire, who is suffering from problems with his airways. He is being treated for this in the interim. There is no fear of the Spaniard having to break off the race early, but in any case on Sunday he was not good enough to join in with the melée of the sprint. So no champagne for winning the stage. Even so, the bubbly stuff was uncorked on Sunday evening at the table. On Sunday, team leader Dekker celebrated his 41st birthday. 

The Rabobank team started the Vuelta badly in Benidorm on Saturday. The team started out full of confidence in the 13.5 kilometre-long team time trial in Benidorm, but the resulting fifteenth place among twenty-two teams on the starting day was a bitter setback. The comparison with classification riders only added to this. Winning team Leopard Trek was thirty seconds faster than the Rabobank formation, but Vincenzo Nibali, Joaquin Rodriguez and Jürgen van den Broeck all finished well in front of Rabobank leading riders Bauke Mollema (photo), Steven Kruijswijk and Luis Léon Sanchez. Dane Jakob Fuglsang is the first leader.

Within the team the reaction to the result was one of amazement. "I'm not one to go on about disillusionment, but this is definitely something like it. And not just a little bit," said team leader Erik Dekker mournfully. "When we were underway, it never seemed for one minute that we would end so badly." Immediately after Liquigas finished as last team in the stage, Dekker was analysing for himself what could have gone wrong, but hadn't found the reason yet. "This was a bizarre day for us. We went to the start with the idea that we could achieve the top five here. All the signs indicated this. The preparation was looking good. I honestly thought that it would be this way during our race. We weren't given any interim times. But at the finish, we saw right away that it wasn't good."

Still 9th halfway
The first part - uphill - went reasonably well. The Rabobank team had ninth place halfway through the race, thirteen seconds slower than Liquigas, who at that time had the fastest formation. They were twelve counts slower than the winning team Leopard Trek, and three counts faster than Skil Shimano, for example. At the finish, the difference with Liquigas was 25 seconds, thirty with Leopard and Skil was suddenly twelve seconds faster. You would imagine that something happened on the way. Dekker: "When I hear those times, I would also assume this, but we didn't have any problems. The only explanation I can come up with is that two of our potentially strongest men, Oscar and Matti, could not contribute in the second part."

Oscar Freire was not feeling in the best of form and had to fall back at the turning point at the top of the 130 metre-high climb. Matti Breschel could no longer take over in the remaining part to the finish. "Before the race I felt that Matti was one of our best people today, but after this watershed, I've had to change my mind. I have to talk to him about this." Erik Dekker saw that the intended classification riders Luis Léon Sanchez, Bauke Mollema and Steven Kruijswijk were doing what they were supposed to do. They made a strong impression. All three of them. This is the only plus point of the day. The leading riders were in very good form. But the day's result, and in particular the loss of time, are a bitter setback."

Bizarre position
Team leaders Dekker and Jan Boven now need to quickly restore morale. Dekker: "Before the race I had hoped for a super time trial and I realistically expected a good time trial, but we have reached a position that you could call bizarre at least. Later we'll talk with the guys and analyse the race and try to figure out what was the cause of this. It can't be down to motivation, because the entire time has started the race rearing to go. But anyway, we have twenty more chances. We have to put this failure behind us quickly and look forward to the rest of the race."

After three weeks of racing, the Tour de France is over for 2011. The Rabobank team and leading rider Robert Gesink travelled to France full of healthy ambition. Initially the Tour had many falls, in which Gesink was also a victim. After than he was unable to find the form to participate. Luis Léon Sanchez managed to win a stage, but that could not alleviate the pain completely. In addition, Laurens ten Dam had a very serious fall. Technical manager Erik Berukink (photo) and riders Robert Gesink and Laurens ten Dam look back on an eventful Tour.

Unsurprisingly, Robert Gesink has been looking forward to the finish. "It's been three horrible weeks, so yes, I am happy it's over." Nevertheless, giving up was never an option. "You hope for improvement and then a stage win in the Alps or another stage. You're also going on for the other guys, the ones supporting you. But you also want to display your own talent. I pulled out all the stops that day on the way to the Galibier, but when it turned out not to be, it was a case of simply counting down the days. Ultimately it's become a worthless Tour. Since I've turned professional I've improved every year, but this is really a major setback."

The preparation showed that Robert Gesink was very much on form. "I was in at the top in the Dauphiné and things also went very well in the training sessions. It had never gone as well as it did in that preparation, but all that's gone up in smoke now. I continued to give myself pep talks, but never got back the legs I had before the fall. Don't underestimate the consequences of that knock." He has nothing left but disappointment. "I might have had a desperate Tour, but I have nothing to be ashamed of. I've always fought hard, and where possible, tried to get out and be seen. Unfortunately that was it. Naturally I'm very disappointed about this."

'It very quickly looks worse than it is'
Laurens ten Dam was especially happy to arrive in Paris. "It's great to see your wife and family after three weeks, so Paris is always nice. But it didn't seem that way a week ago when Adri came up beside me in the car and told me to get off the bike. We talked about it yesterday and we are all very happy that I kept going. Ultimately I made the right decision." The team management felt that Ten Dam should dismount, but he wanted to continue. "As a rider you can feel for yourself what the best thing to do is, but of course I hadn't seen what I looked like at the time. I did see some shocked faces during the climb. But it very quickly looks worse than it is."

'I'm not worried about the future'
And so for the team, it was a case of a quick change of tactics. "After Robert's fall, we went for individual successes," said Erik Breukink. "That worked well once with Luis Léon Sanchez, and because of this we are one of the few teams to have achieved a stage victory." After this the team made several other attempts, but a second stage victory was not possible. "In the final week of the Tour it was the top riders who interfered with the stage wins. That was our disadvantage. In our team there was nobody who stuck out to beat the top guys. That may be sour statement, but that was the situation."

Erik Breukink is not leaving the Tour contented. "Of course we are not satisfied. That is clear. But it's just one year ago we were standing here on the podium with Denis Menchov and Robert Gesink as number six in the classification." At that time Breukink had every confidence in the future and this Tour hasn't changed that. "We will come back with a strong Robert Gesink, I'm not at all worried about that. We have an incredibly strong team. I'm not worried about the future. Lesson one is that they have to stay on their bikes."

In the final stage of the Tour de France, the Rabobank team were not included in the prizes and this came as no surprise. Without sprinters on a team, success on the Champs Elysées was not on the cards and given the interests of the team in this Tour, now finished, the speedy riders stayed at home. Maarten Tjallingii and Carlos Barredo attempted to punch another hole in the plans of the sprinter teams, but their attacks were unsuccessful. A bunch sprint was then inevitable. As was the 5th stage victory for Mark Cavendish. Likewise the final victory of Cadel Evans was no longer in any danger. The battle for the yellow jersey in this Tour also took 20 and not 21 stages.

The last stage has been a traditional lap of honour for a long time. The first half went at a snail's pace with all jerseys at the front. Long conversations among the matadors of this Tour were the show-stoppers. This time there was no cracking of jokes and general banter. The Tour organisers had already taken this scenario into account, because the run-up to the centre of Paris was considerably shorter this year than in other years. The stage was a good ninety kilometres long and this differed from previous Tours by almost 60 kilometres. In the first ninety minutes the average speed was barely 30 kilometres per hour. It was not until riders reached the Champs Elysées that the heat was turned on and the spectacle started, but the ending was once again traditional.

Disappointment dealt with gradually
The job is now over for the not-so-lucky Rabobank team. Three weeks ago the team started out full of courage with ambitions for the classification with top rider Robert Gesink, one of the better climbers in the peloton, also a strong racing cyclist in good form. In the final weekend of the Dauphiné, with Tour-like alpine stages, Gesink was flavour of the month in the peloton. But after his severe fall in the fifth stage, hope for success in the Tour gradually evaporated.

Team leader Adri van Houwelingen admitted that the disappointment was great, but also that through the ongoing process during this Tour was already more or less dealt with before the last decisive days. "We watched this develop. Things were looking a little grim after Robert's fall, but he picked himself up again. Luis Léon Sanchez' stage win on the day before the first rest day actually had a greater impact on us than the Juanma Garate's stage win on the Ventoux a couple of years ago. Luis Léon's win could not have come at a better time. It boosted the team's morale, but later it turned out that Robert's fall and subsequent recovery had still take up a huge amount of energy, both physically as well as mentally."

2nd day success remains elusive
The Rabobank team attempted a second stage win in the second half of the Tour and had hoped for a strong Robert Gesink in the Alps. Bauke Mollema and Maarten Tjallingii in particular carried out some aggressive attacks. Laurens ten Dam could not make any attempts after a severe fall. It was a miracle he managed to stay on the bike. Laurens refused to give up, despite having to deal with a very bad knock. He kept going with eight stitches on his face. Then Bauke Mollema came closest to a 2nd stage success with the second place in the first half alpine stage. He and Robert Gesink tried again in the Alps themselves, but didn't have the energy. Van Houwelingen: "But I saw a team that picked itself up again. We have had to deal with some very serious knocks, but the team simply got on with it."

Even though the Rabobank team had little to gain in the time trial, Maarten Tjallingii (photo) still wanted to set down the best possible time. However, the road from Alpe d'Huez to Grenoble turned out to be so busy that Tjallingii arrived just in time to start without warming up first. And before the Tour de France Robert Gesink had naturally not expected that there would be little at stake for him in the final time time trial. The two Rabobank riders finished behind each other and told their story after the finish.

'More difficult route than it appears on paper'
Maarten Tjallingii therefore rode an unusual time trial: "Without a warm-up. We were stuck in the traffic for sixty kilometres on the way here. I used the first ten kilometres to get into form and to get the legs going. It wasn't so easy going up that hill there. So that was something." Naturally it was also stressful on the way to the city. "We had already lost twenty minutes on the Alpe d'Huez. We hadn't gone two kilometres further and then we were completely motionless. Then you start counting the turns. 'Turn number 4. We are stationary. Oh dear." There are 21 in total, so that's pretty heavy."

In Maarten Tjallingii's opinion, it was a tough time trial. 'It's a more difficult route than it appears on paper' For him the first climb had three parts, so you had to plan it out well right from the start of the time trial. "You could easily misjudge this. If you go too fast at the start, you could easily burn yourself out there." The climb was followed by a straight section, where Tjallingii caught sight of the rider in front of him. "You could see two, three minutes in front of you. So I could see that guy from FDJ riding before me. And that's where I regained some rhythm - for the first time that day."

'I was going well at the end'
According to Robert Gesink, given the circumstances, he rode a very good time trial. "Like always, a time trial isn't my main hobby. Adri van Houwelingen told me: 'Try to do it in under an hour.' I still had 25 seconds over, I think. It was hard in the beginning, but at the end I was going well. I also had this last time I rode this route." The route went up and down hill so Gesink needed to use his gears. "I always keep my rhythm and try to do 104 revolutions. I don't know why it's 104, but for some reason this is the best number for me. So lots of changing of gears to keep my rhythm."

The second part was clearly the best part for Robert Gesink, as he gained time back from the other riders. "I hadn't been riding at full speed, but I did in that last bit. Before that I was trying to find a good tempo." After this disappointing Tour, it is also logical that charging up fully for a time trial is difficult. "What I have already stated: it's now come to Paris," said Gesink. "And the time trial is part of this. It's not a day you look forward to. But is has been a good day for .... Yes well, I don't really know what it's good for. It's been a day. Point out." Gesink finished with a laugh.

After the second-last stage in the Tour, Cadel Evans seems to be on the way to his ultimate dream, an overall victor. He more than compensated for the difference with Andy Schleck in the last time trial. German Tony Martin won the stage against the clock. There were no Rabobank riders in the top of the day classification, but Carlos Barredo, Robert Gesink (photo) and Maarten Tjallingii pulled out all the stops and scored reasonably. Barredo was the best of the Rabobank team at 24th place. Robert Gesink started out moderately, but rode a strong second half and finished in 39th place.

Team leader Adri van Houwelingen was at peace with the developments concerning his team in the decisive time trial. "Given the progress of the Tour for us, the riders have performed as required. They gave it their all, and in particular Carlos, Robert and Maarten have done better than you would have expected after the past few days. Here Maarten is one of the few with a faster time than in the Dauphiné, 59:40 now, compared to 01:00:47 then. And that without warming up, due to heavy traffic on the way to the start." The team leader had agreed with Robert Gesink that the job would be finished within the hour, and he managed this with no problem with a time of 59:34. "Naturally these are not exactly times that we and the riders are cheering about, but you also have to view them in within the context of this Tour. If we were still playing a role in the classification, this would of course have been disappointing."

Luis Léon setback
Nevertheless, Luis Léon Sanchez' classification (71st at 05:16 from Tony Martin) turned out to be a disappointment. A week before the start of the Tour he was the Spanish time-trial champion, but on Saturday Luis Léon had to let as many as nine of his countrymen go. Van Houwelingen: "Naturally we noticed this as well. Luis Léon was not super today, But I think that he is already very preoccupied with Saturday of next week, the Classica San Sebastian. Also, we mustn't forget that Luis Léon and his victory right before the first rest day of the Tour kept it all going for us. At the time, morale was not all that high. His stage win helped us further along."

Van Houwelingen found this to be a Tour of ups and downs. "Fall down and get up. We've had some tough setbacks. But I am pleased that this team seems to be able to get back up again. The disappointment has already been dealt with. You've put it in place. It was a process of almost two and a half weeks. You could see yourself your chances decreasing. We are not at peace with it yet, but we have been able to put it in place. Naturally it wasn't the nicest Tour for us, but the team has turned out to be very solid. We were working with a good crowd."

'Calculated riding'
For many of the followers in the Rabobank team, the end was no great surprise. Van Houwelingen: "We knew the time trial from the Dauphiné, even though it wasn't quite the same. It was now two or three hundred metres shorter. The start block was not in the same place at all. But based on what we saw in the Dauphiné, for me, Cadel Evans was the great favourite. This route is very much to his advantage. A deserving Tour victory? Ach, Cadel did some very calculated riding at times and hardly attacked at all, but in the last two stages in the Alps he assumed his responsibility."

The nineteenth stage of the Tour de France started out with a bang and the fireworks continued throughout the race. Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck had already shaken off other favourites on the first climb, but a large group of riders bunched together again at the foot of the Alpe d'Huez. Rabobank rider Bauke Mollema (photo) was one of the first attackers on this final climb, but along with Cadel Evans, he did not get away. Alberto Contador did, however, but Samuel Sanchez and Pierre Rolland caught up with him in the finishing kilometres. Rolland provided the first French stage win this year. Andy Schleck took the yellow jersey over from Thomas Voeckler.

When in the first kilometre and as early as the start of the Télégraphe mountain pass fourteen riders with the favourites broke away without a Rabobank rider among them, the role of the Rabobank team seemed to be played out. Nevertheless, in the descent from the Galibier various groups came together and at the foot of the Alpe d'Huez, forty to fifty more men were in with a chance for a stage victory, including four Rabobank riders. When Cadel Evans pushed on, Bauke Mollema reacted accordingly, but they did not get any space. Ultimately Carlos Barredo came in as first Rabobank rider in 23rd place, and Mollema finished at 27th.

'Cheered all the way to the top'
Even though none of his boys participated in the victory sprint over the finish line, team leader Adri van Houwelingen still enjoyed the last stage in the Alps. "For cycling enthusiasts, these were two wonderful days. All kinds of things happened and the battle was razor-sharp." Nevertheless there was of course another reason for enjoying the Alpe d'Huez: there's a reason it's known as the Dutch mountain. "It was marvellous, riding up there among all those enthusiastic supporters. Naturally you would hope to have a Dutch rider up there in front, but you are still cheered all the way to the top ."

Bauke Mollema made an attempt at the start of the last climb. While he could not break away, just like his team leader he also enjoyed the climb. "At the foot of Alpe d'Huez I was thinking: 'Let me just have a go.'" said an enthusiastic Mollema after the stage. "I had a small gap briefly, but then the top riders where gone again very quickly. Then I rode to the top at full speed, a bizarrely beautiful experience. It almost felt like a victory. I would like to come back here and climb with the best of them."

'We certainly fought it out'
With another time trial and the race to the Champs-Élysées still to come, the Tour is entering its last weekend. The battle for the final victory is still full-on, but for the Rabobank riders, it is mainly about getting to Paris in one piece. "For us, the hope for success is long gone," said Adri van Houwelingen. "On the last rest day, I said that we still have four days in which to try for a stage victory. This wasn't to be, but we did fight hard and came very close to it with Bauke. It was already difficult enough to turn things up if your team is having a run of bad luck."

During the Tour de France, young talent from the Rabobank ProTeam and Rabobank Continental Team take turns to discuss their colleagues' performances in France. Steven Kruijswijk, Tom-Jelte Slagter, Jetse Bol and Wilco Kelderman just might all be Tour riders of the future. How do they view that largest cycling circus in the world this summer? Analyses and opinions from Steven, Tom-Jelte, Jetse and Wilco. Today Steven Kruijswijk (photo): "The fact that many favourites fell away in the first week of the Tour has certainly influenced the race."

It was quite a day in the Tour de France. How did you experience it?
"At the edge of my seat. It was a fantastic stage to watch on television. Wonderful, that the top favourites went into battle with each other so early on. You don't usually see such early attacks, but actually it wasn't unexpected today, as it was the last day they could still force something. Then you have to test whether other favourites are having a bad day. You can't wait any longer. Even so, it's become a fantastically exciting Tour, but I do think that the withdrawal of so many favourites in the first week has influenced the race too much. It all could have turned out much nicer. For us too."

Where do you rate a good Robert Gesink in this classification?
"Judging by the races before the Tour and what you know about the top riders, I think that Robert could be at the level of Evans and the Schlecks in normal circumstances. But then, there you go, you don't have the classification. One accident and it's over. Clearly this has been the case with Robert. That fall and his subsequent recovery took a lot of energy. Robert himself had hoped it would still improve. I also think he was very strong not to give up, but you could see after a week that he was still not fully recovered. A bang like that can really resonate, both physically as well as mentally. Nevertheless, he made another attempt yesterday. Despite the fact that this Tour must be a major disappointment for him, he still throws himself into it. That deserves respect."

Are you also sitting in front of the television with a feeling of 'next year I'll be there too'?
"Definitely. I really want to be one of next year's riders. Of course something could always come up between now and then, but after two Giros and soon possibly the Vuelta, a start in the Tour is a logical step, I think. I would like nothing more. It is the highest level you can reach as a racing cyclist. The entire event seems fantastic to me, from a distance. Just those falls. You have to move on past those. I know exactly how Robert and the other guys feel. Two months of all that preparation in racing and high altitude training, and everything over in just a few seconds. That's awfully bitter."

During the Tour de France, young talent from the Rabobank ProTeam and Rabobank Continental Team take turns to discuss their colleagues' performances in France. Steven Kruijswijk, Tom-Jelte Slagter, Jetse Bol and Wilco Kelderman just might all be Tour riders of the future. How do they view that largest cycling circus in the world this summer? Analyses and opinions from Steven, Tom-Jelte, Jetse and Wilco. Today Wilco Kelderman: "I'm still hoping for a Dutch rider on the Alpe d'Huez. It's tough, but you can still dream, right?"

The Tour is almost over. How do you find the Tour to date in general?
"Surprising. It changes every day. It also seems hard to control at times. And of course a lot of likely winners have had to fall back through sheer bad luck. Jürgen van den Broeck, Bradley Wiggins, Andreas Klöden and also Robert of course. Actually nobody in particular stands out. There's very little to say just three days before the finish. Naturally the unpredictability makes it exciting.  A true leader is also lacking in the Tour, someone like Armstrong used to be, or Contador in recent years. Although that was on a slightly smaller scale, of course. Armstrong would claim the leadership of the peloton and also expressed himself as a leader. There really isn't any other rider quite like him now."

Do you already have some leader types among the young riders in the peloton?
"Not nearly as many, in any case. The decline in riders is also considerable. After two years you usually go further on. Last year Taylor Phinney had something of a leadership aura about him in the peloton. Many of the young guys looked up to him and he also showed this as a promising young rider. More guts, in any case. Me, this season? Yes, I've already had some reasonable wins and then you notice that other riders view you differently. They watch you more closely, but that is a bit different from leadership."

Who is going to win this highly unpredictable Tour?
"I think that Cadel Evans will win. They won't let Andy Schleck ride off so easily tomorrow. And the difference between Andy and Evans has to be more than that one minute it is now before Saturday's time trial. So it's going to be very tough for the brothers. Either that or the Schlecks need to have another special trick tucked up their sleeves. They might use Franck now. That would be a clever move and turn things right over. Otherwise I'm still hoping for a Dutch rider on the Alpe d'Huez. It's tough, but you can still dream, right? Robert was better again today, Bauke showed us yesterday that he's good and quite possibly let today go. We shall see."

Robert Gesink (photo) kept his word on Thursday. He wanted to make a statement in the Alps and did this over three super mountain passes in the Queen's Race. Ultimately this resulted in 21st place, but Gesink certainly showed considerable improvement in comparison with the Pyrenees. The climber is still in with a chance. Friday's race will finish on the legendary Alpe d'Huez. The Tour exploded during Thursday's stage. Andy Schleck carried out a fantastic 70-kilometre long attack and at the finish on the Galibier still had a good 2 minutes over from a maximum head start of 04:25. Thomas Voeckler stayed in the lead.

The second Alpine stage delivered a breathtaking spectacle, and the Rabobank team played their part. For the second day in a row, Maarten Tjallingii participated in a large attack, which would also serve as a springboard for the biggest attack for the yellow jersey in this Tour. As already stated, Robert Gesink was extremely active on Thursday. On the first mountain pass of the day, the excruciating d'Agnel pass, he rode continuously in the first row in the large group. On the second climb, the Izoard pass, Gesink even attacked twice. In the second attack he gained six companions and the difference between him and the top riders grew to almost a minute.

However, because the Tour favourites continued to push hard, Gesink's attempts had no chance. The same went for the leading group, which included Joost Posthuma and Maxime Montfort, 2 team mates of Andy and Franck Schleck. The early attackers, along with Maarten Tjallingii, therefore also played an exceptional role in the first row. Former Rabobank rider Posthuma set the pace for almost 100 kilometres in a highly admirable manner. Later Montfort waited for his leading rider Andy Schleck, who had ridden away from the other top riders in the final kilometres of the Izoard.

Gesink well in front
At that moment Maarten Tjallingii had already fallen back to the rear, but Robert Gesink still held his ground with the other favourites, reaching the final climb to the Galibier with that group. At more than 2600 metres, this is the highest ever finish in the Tour. It was on this mountain pass that the battle among the top riders ignited in earnest. Andy Schleck still had 10 kilometres to go with a head start of 04:25. The other favourites were watching each other for a long time. Wearer of the yellow jersey Voeckler refused to take his responsibility. Cadel Evans did not dare. Alberto Contador was unable to, and Franck Schleck didn't have to. This lasted until Evans got worked up and eventually started a 9-kilometre long chase with a steadily decreasing string of riders at his rear wheel.

That was also the moment when Robert Gesink had to let the top riders go. Nevertheless, he kept up a good rhythm and did not give up. In this way, he managed to get a placing as the best Dutch rider.  Considering Ron Ruygh's good form in this Tour, not such a bad qualification, but Gesink came to the Tour with completely different expectations. Friday is another chance with a finish on the Dutch mountain, the Alpe d'Huez. An early breakaway is really the only option, as given the interest and small differences, a direct confrontation with the top riders at this time is not a winning situation for almost all of the outsiders.

With Maarten Tjallingii and Bauke Mollema (photo) riding with the group in front, the Rabobank team was well represented in the group of fourteen during the seventeenth stage of the Tour de France. The mountainous course made it clear very early on for the two riders how the roles were designated. Maarten Tjallingii took on a lot of work for Bauke Mollema, who battled for a win in the final part. Unfortunately Edvald Boasson Hagen was that bit stronger, but Mollema showed himself to be otherwise suitably pugnacious. Mollema and Tjallingii tell their story of the seventeenth stage.

Bauke Mollema was rewarded with the second place for the third day in a row of active riding, but naturally would have much preferred outright victory. Nevertheless, Mollema acknowledged that Boasson Hagen was the stronger rider. "In principle it was a great result, but I would have loved to have won. But however, he was simply too strong going uphill and I think that he finished the race going down the mountain: the rightful winner." Mollema would not let the second place go that easily. "I didn't know anything about the differences, but wanted to come second, so then you ride with everything you've got for it."

The race exploded at the front as early as on the Sestrières. Ruben Perez Moreno attacked and took a minute head start. However, in Maarten Tjallingii, Bauke Mollema had the perfect team mate. Tjallingii was able to significantly reduce Perez Moreno's head start in the descent from the Sestrières, he informed us. "That kid from Euskatel attacks on the Sestrières. After the summit of the Sestrières I'm doing my work for Bauke, because I thought that he would be better on the last climb. So I tried to reduce the gap with that Euskatel kid and brought it back further to twenty-five seconds."

'Just ride uphill on a full house'
On the final climb Boasson Hagen ultimately ended up alone in front. Bauke Mollema did not react immediately, but got his steam up in the last part. He had a simple tactic: "Just ride uphill on a full house. Initially there was a bit of wait because the second part was very steep. That went very well." Shortly before the summit Mollema caught up with SAUR rider Jonathan Hivert, but could not enjoy his support for very long. "In the first turn he slipped out of his pedal, and two turns further on he went into the woods." Nevertheless, this did not unnerve Mollema. "I didn't really get a fright, I had actually been kind of expecting it."

The descent from the Côte de Pramartino had already set tongues wagging. It was supposed to be too dangerous, and this was also Bauke Mollema's conclusion. He saw Hivert coming off the bend very early on. "A few turns later I also rode straight on. That descent did not ease up anywhere, each turn was lethal. I missed a turn, but could keep up my concentration to maintain my speed." While there was no win, Mollema appears to be improving day by day. He hopes not to have seen the last of this Tour. "The race to Alpe d'Huez is definitely special. I would very like to be in the leading group there. I'll certainly give it a try." 

The first major stage in the Alps on Wednesday came very close to a second Rabobank success in this Tour de France. Bauke Mollema (photo) and Maarten Tjallingii participated in a successful breakaway of 14 riders. In the difficult and very exciting finish Mollema was forced to recognise his superior in the Norwegian top talent Edvald Boasson Hagen, who the previous day came 2nd. In the final climb, the Rabobank climber quickly got close to the Norwegian who had earlier broken away from the group in front, but in the lethal descent from this climb Boasson Hagen rode on sooner, Bauke was second 40 seconds behind him and Maarten Tjallingii 15th at 4 minutes. The favourites came in at 04:26.

The Rabobank team had already announced that they would pull out all the stops in the Alps to secure a stage win, and on Wednesday they came very close to fulfilling this promise. Once again, it was a hellishly tough job getting into the right breakaway group. Almost 51 kilometres were ridden in the first hour, but once the smoke had cleared, it seemed that the Rabobank team was well represented in the leading group of 14 riders, with one climber, Bauke Mollema, and a rotating rider, Maarten Tjallingii. When the head start of this group of 14 quickly grew to 7 minutes and very little was surrendered on Sestrières, the toughest mountain pass of the day, it was clear that the winner was at the front.

Tjallingii teamwork
Spaniard Ruben Perez was still riding alone in front on the way to the final climb. Maarten Tjallingii gave himself up for his team mate and did a huge amount of chasing. The better climbers of the group, among them Bauke Mollema, caught up with Perez on the first 2 kilometres of the final climb. After this the battle raged. The last attack by Boasson Hagen turned out to be the best. During the descent, Mollema's companion Frenchman Hivert missed the turn twice. Mollema himself also rode straight on once and ended up in the barrier, but neither rider nor bike sustained any damage. With regard to Boasson Hagen's win, nothing more could be done.

"We were aware that Boasson Hagen was the most dangerous rider," admitted Frans Maassen. "When he accelerated, it immediately became clear that it was going to be a tough story. He is a complete rider. But Bauke gave it his all. He got even closer in the final 2 kilometres of the climb." Maassen is not all that sorry about the second place. "It's not nice to be 'only' second, but the best rider won today. You can't argue that. It's a pity, because I think that this was our greatest chance in the three Alp stages for a stage win. But we'll just have another go at it tomorrow."

Voeckler off the turn
For the second day in a row, the favourites were battling it out among themselves on the last climb. Alberto Contador accelerated twice, but the others followed. There was no difference until the descent, when wearer of the yellow jersey Thomas Voeckler, in imitation of his compatriot Hivert a few minutes previously, rode through a turn and ended up in the parking spot of a bungalow. He ultimately lost almost half a minute. The other top riders finished together. The remaining five Rabobank riders rode over the finish line at 14 minutes in the 'big bus'.

During the Tour de France, young talent from the Rabobank ProTeam and Rabobank Continental Team take turns to discuss their colleagues' performances in France. Steven Kruijswijk, Tom-Jelte Slagter, Jetse Bol and Wilco Kelderman just might all be Tour riders of the future. How do they view that largest cycling circus in the world this summer? Analyses and opinions from Steven, Tom-Jelte, Jetse and Wilco. Today Tom-Jelte Slagter: "I think that Robert Gesink will pick his day in the mountains."

Did you also enjoy that stage to Gap?
"I enjoyed it very much. Unfortunately I wasn't able to see the entire stage because of my high altitude training in Switzerland. But I did get to sit down in front of the television for the last bit. It's a pity that Bauke Mollema wasn't able to make that jump to the group in front. There were some very strong riders in that group, including Hushovd. He is such a great cyclist. I thought it was a fantastic finish, also because of Alberto Contador and Cadel Evans' breakaways. You could already see them watching out for their opportunity at the foot of that last climb. That's how they managed to gain considerable time on the Schleck brothers. Because of this, the Tour is now completely open. Right now I see Evans as the big favourite for the final victory."

Today the Rabobank team didn't play any significant role. How do you envisage the team's progress in the mountain stages?
"I see a role set aside for Bauke. I know Bauke and I know that he can race well in poor weather conditions. Of course, he hasn't been in top form in the Tour for a while, but in recent days I've been seeing a fresher Bauke. I am hoping for him and the team that something good will happen. Also, I think that Robert Gesink is saving himself for the mountain stages and is going to pick his day. The classification is no longer of concern, so hopefully he can recharge his batteries to get a nice stage win. I have confidence in this. I'm finding it hard to assess the strength of the other riders. But in any case, you can't really expect too much from Laurens ten Dam after his fall."

As you yourself have indicated, you are currently in Switzerland for high altitude training. How's it going there?
"It's going great here. I have an intensive day of training with lots of climbs behind me. I am currently in preparation for the Tour of Poland. There are a number of tough mountain stages included in the route plan there, so it's good that I'm getting in my climbing kilometres here. I'm pleased that I can participate again in a race. I'll be in Switzerland for another week, and then travel to Poland. Naturally I'll be watching the mountain stages here in the Alps very closely. There will be some magnificent mountain passes, such as the Galibier. Hopefully the weather won't throw a spanner in the works."

In contrast to the previous days, it took a very long time in the sixteenth stage of the Tour de France before the right group broke away. Initially the Rabobank team was very active, but didn't manage to break away with the right group. Bauke Mollema (photo) rode with two fellow breakaway riders well behind the leading group, but never got close. Eventually three riders from the leading group battled it out for the stage victory. Thor Hushovd won his second stage this Tour in Gap. Thomas Voeckler held onto the lead in the general classification, but Cadel Evans and Alberto Contador gained time against their competitors close to the finish.

The profile promised a tough stage, nevertheless this did not hold the riders back from making this into an incredibly fast race. Officially this stage had just one climb, a second category, but riders spent a large part of the day riding uphill. On the day's mountain pass the leading group was already out of sight, but Alberto Contador managed to light an explosive fire among the favourites. Along with Cadel Evans and Samuel Sanchez, he was able to make serious inroads and Evans in his turn kept Contador and Sanchez a few seconds behind him.

'You need to have a little luck'
"This race had one advantage for the riders," said Rabobank team leader Adri van Houwelingen. "They had the wind at their backs today." Naturally Van Houwelingen feels it is a pity none of the Rabobank team joined the fight for the stage victory, but also stated: "I would be even more annoyed if I had heard none of our team's names over the event radio. Today four men constantly attempted it and were also frequently in the running, but we were unfortunate in that the attempts were not given any space. You also need to have a little luck, because for the same money, one of the earlier breakaways was the right one."

Bauke Mollema ended up riding between the leading group and the peloton for a long time. Wasn't that wasted energy? "No," said Adri van Houwelingen resolutely. "If the peloton comes to a halt, the leading group can play for time and then you certain can join them. But they were simply too strong in front." Bauke Mollema himself also stated that you needed a bit of luck. "Naturally you need to search for the right moment to go and I had that a few times, but right at that last time a group of strong riders broke away and they found each other." Mollema went after them, but ultimately could no longer catch up with them.

Now the Rabobank team will continue with this for three more days, during which they will go for a stage victory, as Adri van Houwelingen already indicated. "It was a pity that they weren't successful today, but we have more chances over the coming three days." Today went better for Laurens ten Dam than it did on Sunday, Van Houwelingen also informed us. "Laurens got through the day well. The swelling on his face has gone down somewhat. Of course we can't expect any miracles from him, but it is certainly a good thing that he's doing better. And in particular for himself, naturally."

For many cycling fans, this weekend Laurens ten Dam (photo) also achieved hero status similar to that of Johnny Hoogerland. The images of his fall on Saturday and the spectacular photo of his face made after the finish made it clear to many people that finishing the 14th stage was not child's play. Far from it. With eight stitches in his face and swelling on his nose, cheek and jaw, 'LTD Hard as a Rock' continued on his way on Sunday. He reached the finish slightly behind the peloton, and was immediately stormed by a battalion of journalists. "It went relatively well today. But I was lucky that they were away early."

One day after the fall. You're still here. How do you feel now?
"The stage went well, but naturally I don't feel in absolute top form. I was lucky in the stage that they were already gone very early. Then it got more peaceful in the peloton and the pace stayed constant. We had a lot of wind on the way. We rode at the side all day, so I needed to do a bit of sprinting from time to time to keep up. I finally let it go at the end. Forfeited a few minutes. But that's okay."

Your face looks very swollen. To what extent has this affected your race?
"It actually isn't so bad. The most difficult thing is still eating. I was truly empty close to the finish. I can't consume too much right now. I had a lot of difficulty getting two bread rolls into me. As well as this, lots of liquids and some sweets. It's not the happiest of situations, but we just have to cope with it. I want to get to Paris and I just have to grin and bear it. I can only assume that it will get easier over the coming days."

You were making a very good impression before that fall. The legs were super then?
"I was indeed feeling very strong. I really went for the final climb, I had great confidence in that. Then in the evening when you hear and see that the favourites ascended with the handbrake and a boy like Jelle Vanendert - with all due respect - can break away and win, then you get a bit more cheesed off. I'm not saying I would have won the stage, but with my legs yesterday and the tempo of the top riders, it certainly could have been a great day classification. You win some, you lose some."

Just like Johnny Hoogerland, you are now considered a hero in the Netherlands. Again.
"I would have preferred to achieve hero status with a top-class performance on Alpe d'Huez. (Laughing hard) But of course this could still happen. I'm not going to give that up. The swelling will go down quickly. Monday as a rest then, this is convenient. I think that the legs are just as good as they were before my fall, and other than on my face, the injuries are not too bad. Until yesterday afternoon I was feeling very good and hope that this feeling will come back. Honestly, I'm counting on it. Alpe d'Huez will be an experience, no matter what. I would like to become immortal there."

For the sprinters in the Tour de France, the fifteenth stage from Limoux to Montpellier was the last chance for a victory before the Champs-Élysées. HTC seized this opportunity with both hands and kept the race under strict control. Five riders were able to go for it, but a bunch sprint was inevitable. Mark Cavendish is the strongest sprinter of this Tour and his fourth race already had his name on it. All of the Rabobank riders got through the day well, including Laurens ten Dam, who after a bad fall on Saturday kept up with the peloton until the final five kilometres.

The stage was a classic sprinter race. Four riders were quickly given safe conduct, but their head starts were kept under control. The peloton did not catch up with the group until the final ten kilometres, but Niki Terpstra risked another ultimate attempt. Philippe Gilbert also attempted to break away and took two riders with him, but the sprinter teams did not let this chance pass them by. The Rabobank team has no sprinter in its ranks, so for them it was a case of getting through the day well. Monday is a rest day on the programme, after which the mountainous terrain awaits.

A true interim stage
According to Rabobank team leader Adri van Houwelingen (photo), the only thing that could prevent a sprint was the wind. "But ultimately that didn't have any effect today," said Van Houwelingen. "After that, it became a genuine interim stage. This was good for our team, because with today and tomorrow's rest day, we can have a little breather. I see Tuesday through Friday almost as a separate stage race, in which we intend to play a prominent role. We have the men for it, so a stage victory is our goal. But no matter what, we also have to compete in front on those days," stated Van Houwelingen.

Adri van Houwelingen was pleased that Laurens ten Dam came through the day relatively well. "When you finish the race yesterday and start today, then your goal is naturally to finish the stage," he explained. "He managed that and now the hope is that the swelling will come down today and tomorrow. If that's on the face, it looks bad, but it heals up more quickly than scratches, for example." After the finish, Laurens ten Dam admitted that eating in particular was a problem. Van Houwelingen feels the same. "Eating will be a problem for a while. But fortunately it's not obligatory to consume a great big piece of meat to perform, so we will find something else for him to eat."

Bauke Mollema was at the front for the second day in a row in the Pyrenees. On Friday he went after the leading group, and on Saturday he was in the leading group of the day along with his team mate Luis Léon Sanchez. While this didn't bring major success, he is feeling better every day. "Next week the Alps are on the programme and we have enough riders who can achieve something there. In any case, I want to go for it there."

The fact that yesterday was a good day is affecting today?
"That seems to be the case, yes. I am also pleased that I was in the group in front today. Unfortunately it was clear very quickly that I did not have the legs to attempt anything during the final climb. But never mind, it's also our own fault that we never seized the chance with the leading group. The cooperation wasn't seamless, so we never had enough of a head start. There were constant breakaways within the group, which meant we actually never really got to the front."You had a team mate in front with Luis Léon Sanchez.

Had you already agreed on who would do what?
"Because of the way the race went, we never got to that. It was simply much too agitated, also because other teams had two riders in the group in front. Or some were breaking away, or didn't want to ride. But in all fairness, as neither of us belonged to the best in the leading group, we were not able to agree on too many things anyway."

Was there still some of yesterday's attempt lingering in your legs?
"Yesterday I actually didn't suffer so much, so that didn't play a part. I was even better than yesterday. I am also in good condition, but the legs are not yet completely in order. Naturally this isn't particularly odd either, because I need to recover somehow in this Tour and that is very difficult if you have to pull out all the stops every day. In this regard, tomorrow's flatter stage and the rest day on Monday will work out very well. I am feeling better and better and hopefully will get the chance to recover on those days."

And then probably try again in the Alps next week.
"That is the intention. Everyone in the team is going around with the same thought in their heads: we want to win a second stage. I think that in the team we found it relatively easy to adjust after it became clear that we could forget about the classification. Now we want to have someone in the leading group and this is working out well. Next week the Alps are on the programme and we have enough riders who can achieve something there. In any case, I want to go for it there."

Finally, what's it like, riding in the Tour?
"Naturally it's the biggest competition of the year. However, you also know this in advance, so I wasn't really all that surprised by all of the chaos surrounding it. On top of this, I am preoccupied mainly with the race for these three weeks. Whether I am riding here or someplace else, I still have to follow the wheels of those in front of me. And you try to look after yourself the best you can outside of the competition. Now I can concentrate properly on this, but the real enjoyment will come after the Tour."

For the second day in a row, the Rabobank team struggled along in the first row, but unfortunately a long attack from Luis Léon Sanchez (photo) and Bauke Mollema in a leading group of initially 24 and later 16 riders produced no result. Carlos Barredo tried again, but the favourites seized the initiative on the final climb to Plateau de Beille. Belgian rider Jelle Vanendert was ultimately the surprising as well as deserving winner. Laurens ten Dam was seriously battered in a fall. He continued on with the race, came in on time and after the finish went to hospital for an examination.

From the point of view of the Rabobank team, the final stage in the Pyrenees had been attractive for a long time. Two good riders, Luis Léon Sanchez and Bauke Mollema, were in a large breakaway group of 24 riders. Nevertheless, cooperation within this group was never at an optimum. On the climb up the very tough Agnes mountain pass (1st category), the group broke up and Sanchez and Mollema ended up behind. However, the two Rabobank riders caught up with the leading group during the descent, which by then consisted of 16 riders. Jens Voight had dropped out in front because of two falls in the descent, where Laurens ten Dam also took a very nasty spill.

The final 30 kilometres were highly agitated among the leading group. Sanchez and Mollema also made another attempt, but on the very tough final climb it quickly became evident that neither of them had super legs for the job. Of the leading group, nobody at the front actually survived. In the first kilometres of the final climb, Robert Gesink briefly fulfilled the role of water carrier for Carlos Barredo who, after being refreshed by his leading rider of the first week and a half, promptly went on the attack. He was riding just 15 seconds before the group of favourites, but was forced to give up when the battle began in earnest.

The actions of the top riders ultimately turned into a disappointment. The Schleck brothers and Ivan Basso made a few attempts. Cadel Evans, Alberto Contador and the once again surprising classification leader Thomas Voeckler apparently could follow easily. Belgian Jelle Vanendert profited very well from the favourites opting out the real combat. His courageous appetite for attack was rewarded. Samuel Sanchez made another attempt, but the Spaniard kept hanging for 20 seconds. Because of this, the first two on the Plateau de Beille were the same two as on Luz Ardiden on Thursday afternoon, only this time the roles were reversed. 

Friday, the second stage in the Pyrénées started badly for the Rabobank Team because Lars Boom quit, but very soon the team went on. Eventually, Maarten Tjalingii (photo) ended in the deciding leading group and Bauke Mollema too, showed that he is back on track. Most of the men in the Rabo Team smiled afterwards. "My compliments to the team. They showed immense resilience", team leader Frans Maassen said. "After such a day, we feel a little bit like riders again", Tjallingii and Mollema both said independently from each other. Thor Hushovd grabbed the victory of this second mountain stage splendidly and Thomas Voeckler kept the yellow jersey.

Even without a battle between the top favourites, it was a turbulent second stage in the Pyrénées. During the first hour, no less than 51 kilometres were covered due to the many fierce attacks. The Rabo Team was very active in those. "We had appointed Carlos Barredo, Laurens ten Dam, and Luis Leon Sanchez as men for an early escape. With the Aubisque in the stage, you need a pair of climbers' legs", explained Frans Maassen. Eventually, it was Maarten Tjallingii, not a climber at all, who ended up in the right escape. "It's better to have the wrong man in the good group, than no man up front at all", Maassen smiled.

'Starting over again'
Tjallingii did fine in the leading group, which contained amongst others world champion Thor Hushovd and his fellow-countryman Edvald Boasson Hagen and good climbers like Jérémy Roy and David Moncoutie. It wasn't planned that he was going to attack, Tjallingii explained, but he felt he had to when Boasson Hagen escaped. "I sneaked out with Hagen. It was more luck than wisdom that I was there. I had a few bad moments before that, but I was there. Of course I knew that there were no big chances of success, but after yesterday we all agreed to have a reboot. We want to show that we're riding with pleasure again. This was my way to contribute to that."

That was also the case for Bauke Mollema. Hardly recovered from a light fever, he wanted to show that his legs are getting stronger. "When I rode away with Bouet, I knew we couldn't catch up anymore, but that way you show yourself again. I felt that I was getting better and wanted to try it. Thinking about it now, it was a good decision. To ride at the front on the Aubisque gives a real kick. It's very good for the spirit. Hopefully I can show even more of myself the following week. We as a team adopted another course and that should get us somewhere. We're here with seven strong riders. We're aiming for at least one more stage victory and that will happen."

'Great resilience'
That is what also the team management hopes with all its heart. "This was a good start", says Frans Maassen. "After yesterday, we were very motivated to have someone in the leading group." The performance in the second mountain stage gives hope for the following days, he says. "Today the team showed great resilience. Adri van Houwelingen (the first team leader - ed.) held a good speech in the preliminary conversation this morning. It was well received. We didn't have a great day, but a good one and we needed that."

Lars Boom (photo) rode a strong stage on Wednesday, but physical problems prevented him to ride this year's Tour de France like he wants. First he suffered from stomach complaints, on Thursday and Friday an overstrained Achilles tendon presented him with problems. This caused so much pain that Lars was forced to step out. "To continue was meaningless. I had such a burden that I couldn't move my ankle properly."

Today the stage was a short one for you.
"I was released pretty quick today. It was not even due to the fact that I had tired legs, although I felt them of course. But my Achilles tendon prevented me to continue. I think I've overworked it during the escape on Wednesday. It hurt very much yesterday and today there was no improvement. To continue was meaningless. It was such a burden that I couldn't move my ankle properly."

That is indeed an injury that you have had no chance to recover from in the Tour.
"It is a tendon, right? They don't have a good blood circulation. That's why they recover a lot slower. I often had troubles with my Achilles tendon and know from experience that only rest will help. But in the Tour there are no moments of rest. There was so much pressure on my tendon yesterday and today, it was really painful. I wanted to continue, but it was impossible."

First stomach complaints, and now your Achilles tendon: this Tour is not your finest match.
"Yes, you can say that. On Wednesday, finally, my stomach complaints were nearly gone. There were hardly any problems during the long escape. But after that, these problems from my Achilles tendon occurred. And that while my condition was good. But that doesn't count if you have these physical problems. You can't ride the way you want in that case."

What's next? Setting new goals immediately?
"I haven't thought about that yet. At this moment, I'm especially disappointed that I have had to step out. Next, I will pack my bags in my hotel and tonight I will talk to our team leader Adri van Houwelingen about what's happening. Take rest, have the Achilles tendon recover well and we'll see what the rest of the season will bring. That's how it will happen."

Laurens ten Dam did not join in the slump that afflicted the Rabobank team in the first Pyrenees stage. After the Rabobank top riders Robert Gesink and Luis Léon Sanchez fell away at the front, Ten Dam saw his chance. He broke away and for a while rode up the last climb in front of the group of favourites. Unfortunately he could not follow Samuel Sanchez, later the stage winner, and also had to let the favourites go, but even so Ten Dam can look back on a good day. "I myself am satisfied with the level I have attained, that it is what it needs to be."

How do you yourself look back on the stage?
"At the end I got some hunger pangs, but I've had a good day for the most part. While on the Tourmalet I stayed with Robert to support him, but at a certain point he said: 'Ride on.' Then I wanted to attack already, but Luis Léon was still there, so I simply kept up with the pace. You never know if he will still get the jersey. However, then he fell back too, and I went for it."

So you'd rather venture off on your own than join someone else for as long as you can?
"For me, this is the only way to win a race. There's no point in staying with Contador, the Schlecks and those other favourites, because I won't be able to get away from them at the finish. I also think that the attack was good, but Vanendert and Sanchez were going just a little bit too fast. It's a pity because I was feeling good and was able to maintain my tempo very well after that. It was only during the final two, three kilometres that it got difficult. Then it was a case of easing up and staying with De Weert."

So you had a good day, but sadly this was not the case for the team as a whole.
"It is a pity that Robert and Luis Léon have had to let it go. I myself am satisfied with the level I have attained, that it is what it needs to be. It is now clear that we need to focus on a stage win. The second stage win, of course, don't forget that we already have one with Luis Léon."

Can Robert recharge himself for that again, do you think?
"I hop that he can still win a stage in the mountains. But if it doesn't work out that way, then of course it doesn't work out that way. If he can get himself together mentally, then hopefully he can ride in the Alps like I rode today and show some good things. Now we all need to sit down together and try to motivate each other to go for a second stage win."

After his recovery over the past few days, Robert Gesink (photo) and the Rabobank team had reasonable hopes for a good first stage in the Pyrenees, but on the second large mountain pass of the day, the Tourmalet, his chances for a good classification placement slowly faded away. Gesink was forced to let the other leading riders go 10 kilometres before the summit. Not long after, Luis Léon Sanchez also fell back. Both riders forfeited more than fifteen minutes. Laurens ten Dam was the only Rabobank rider to hold onto his place. He broke down just 3 kilometres from the finish. Ten Dam came in at 18th place, a good 2 minutes from stage winner Samuel Sanchez. Thomas Voeckler held onto the leader's jersey. Frenchman Arnold Jeannesson took over the youth jersey from Robert Gesink.

In the final 20 kilometres, Laurens ten Dam was still providing some colour in an otherwise grey day for the Rabobank team. At the foot of the final climb to Luz Ardiden he was in a group in front that included Samuel Sanchez and Philippe Gilbert, but in the first kilometres of the climb was just unable to keep up with Sanchez, who along with Belgian Jelle Vanendert broke away from the leading group of seven. Then the best Rabobank rider of the day ended up in the group of favourites, where he held his own until as late as four kilometres before the finish, when the hunger pangs got to him.

'Laurens at his level'
"Laurens did very well indeed. He was at his level, and this was not that case with a number of others on our team", observed Adri van Houwelingen. Forty-five minutes after the finish the team leader had already reasonably processed his disappointment of his leading rider Robert Gesink losing ground. "But we had the time in the car for this during the race, of course. We saw the entire process on the Tourmalet from nearby and there was nothing to be done about it. That setback Robert had last week has hit him hard. Both physically as well as mentally. For me, Saturday's race was a breaking point. He lost considerable time on the competition on terrain where normally he would have ridden extremely well."

But was it really a setback? Van Houwelingen: "In any case, we had hoped for better. Recent days seemed to go reasonably well, after all. But we already said on Sunday that we would have to wait until Thursday. This stage would determine what comes next, and unfortunately on the second mountain pass, the competition for the classification ended." The team leader saw a combination of factors to be the cause. "At the moment Robert cannot sustain the pain necessary to be able to ride such a mountain race well. He has had to endure too much, both physically as well as mentally. And in this way he is not as well recovered as he seemed to be in recent days."

Different strategy
How should it go now? After Thursday's stage, within the team there was openly philosophising about aiming for success in the coming days of the race. Naturally the team management is also going for it. Whether Robert Gesink will be able to fulfil a role in this later on the Tour de France is still uncertain, but Van Houwelingen is certainly not ruling it out. "But not in the next two Pyrenees stages. That would be too soon. The most important thing now for Robert is initially to get back that feeling of 'I'm a rider again'. This has to be realised, definitely. Then we'll think about the next step. But in any case we will apply another strategy with the team now that the classification is definitely no longer in the picture."

Rabobank rider Lars Boom made a very strong impression in the leading group of the day in the eleventh stage of the Tour de France. In the final part of the race he attempted to stay in front of the peloton on his own, but that was too much. He also missed out on the prize for the most combative rider, but even so he was generally content about his strong performance. "In any case, I've had a good day."

You had intestinal problems earlier on the Tour. Is that better now?
"Yesterday I was still bothered by it, but in rain it seems to be easier. The heat is not good for my intestines, so with today's rain, it was better. In any case I hadn't planned on being in the leading group, but I was feeling good after the start and so I made the attempt. After fifteen kilometres six of us got away and I was one of them. And that also went really well, as you could see."

You also had some great men riding with you, because the peloton had a hard time catching up with you.
"Maybe some of them could have pedalled harder, but the collaboration was very good. It's possible we started to ride too fast too soon, that certainly cost us in terms of energy. But we had to also, because in the interim sprint the head start was reduced very quickly. Initially we had also ridden hard to make our escape, of course, so then you don't have a lot left over."

But enough to make a solo attempt.
"It was all or nothing. Maybe I went a bit too soon, because four kilometres is far. But also, if I had waited any longer, it would have become very tight. It's hard to avoid a sprint in a stage like this. But yes, you should always try. And I gave it everything. Luckily it went well. Not just for me, but for the entire team. We have had those moments with Robert Gesink and Juanma Garate, but it's going much better now."

In the interim sprint you have a brief little spat with Mickaël Delage. What was that about?
"He started to sprint there and he shouldn't have. He could also have simply taken his turn to lead, then it would have been fine. You work together as a group to stay away, and something like that can cause a disruption. But however, we kept it in rotation after that, so after that it wasn't a major problem."

Ultimately you were not named the most combative rider of the race. Does that bother you?
"That is a pity, yes. Now a rider who doesn't really take his turns to lead has won, but this is a French thing. I understood from Robert Gesink that they decide on the most combative rider ten kilometres from the finish and naturally that shouldn't take place until the finish line. But I was also stronger than Delage before then. Well, this is how it is. In any case, I've had a good day."

In the eleventh stage of the Tour de France, a bunch sprint could not be avoided, but Rabobank rider Lars Boom managed to make it particularly exciting. The peloton could only catch up with Boom and his five fellow breakaway riders in dribs and drabs and at four kilometres before the line, Boom made a solo attempt. Two kilometres further on they caught up with him and once again it became a bunch sprint. Mark Cavendish took revenge for his humiliation of the previous day and won the race. There are no changes in the classification. Thomas Voeckler has held onto the lead, Luis Leon Sanchez remains second and Robert Gesink is still the best young rider.

The breakaway group of the day made its move as early as fifteen kilometres into the race, and included Lars Boom. The six worked well together, but the sprinter teams also controlled the race well. As a result, the head start never exceed four minutes. In the interim sprint the head start was quickly reduced and the breakaway did not look favourable. However, the peloton was unable to catch up on the leading group very quickly. Finally the head start crept back and at four kilometres from the end appeared to be over. Nevertheless, Boom was very strong and pulled himself together for one last solo attempt. But he could not avoid the bunch sprint as well, and at two kilometres, the peloton caught up with him.

'Lars got further than expected'
Team leader Frans Maassen spent all day riding behind the leading group. "This was a stage in which you can judge in advance that a bunch sprint is hard to avoid. And it also finishes with a bunch sprint, but Lars got further than expected. He did not make it easy for the sprinter teams." That Lars boom made a solo attempt in the final part came as no surprise to Maassen. "I could already see that within the leading group, Lars was one of the better riders and he proved this very well. You also have to try, because those who don't dare, don't win."

The head start remained under control throughout and was a maximum of four minutes. "You really have to stay riding," said Frans Maassen. "You never know how the race will turn out, or or if it might turn right around. On Sunday, it seemed to go this way for Luis Léon, but suddenly the entire picture changed. What with the rain, today's was a dangerous finish, so you always have a chance. And Lars made a good impression." In addition to the near stage victory, Lars also came close to winning the prize for the most combative rider, but missed out. Undeservedly, in Maassen's opinion. "Everyone could see that Lars was the strongest in that leading group. But apparently this is not enough."

'Now the Tour is really starting'
With the real mountains ahead, fortunately things are also going better for the Rabobank climbers Robert Gesink and Bauke Mollema. "Naturally I have no idea how i am in front after all that has happened. After all of those short climbs of five, maybe six kilometres, you might be better off not saying exactly how good you are now. For me, it's a case of wait and see, as it is with everyone. You know you've scored a hit, but also that you are recovering from it every day.  These are the things that get you going. In any case, I'm going to do my very best," said Robert Gesink after the finish of the eleventh stage. For Bauke Mollema, today was also an improvement on yesterday. "Yesterday I might have been the worst in the race, and today there were certainly twenty men worse than me, so in relation to this, there's an improvement," he joked.

During the Tour de France, young talent from the Rabobank ProTeam and Rabobank Continental Team take turns to discuss their colleagues' performances in France. Steven Kruijswijk, Tom-Jelte Slagter, Jetse Bol and Wilco Kelderman just might all be Tour riders of the future. How do they view that largest cycling circus in the world this summer? Analyses and opinions from Steven, Tom-Jelte, Jetse and Wilco. Today Steven Kruijswijk (photo): "Robert was considerably fresher and more alert again. I hope he will be back on form in good time."

To what extent do you get the itch when you see the Tour de France on television?
"Not too much over the past few days. I was actually glad I was sitting on the couch. So many falls. So much stress. So many severe injuries. I love racing, I like racing very much, but this was just a bit over the top. Last week I myself was in France. I was also with the team. I felt the itch a bit then alright. But I also saw the commotion, the pressure, the chaos and the stress. It's bad in the Giro, it's many times worse in the Tour. In the Giro, you also see that in the final 25 kilometres things get more fraught as teams bring their top riders to the front. But there this happens with three men, in the Tour you see entire teams pushing to the front. That makes it all the more uncontrollable."

What did you think of Robert Gesink before and after the rest day?
"Very promising. I think that the most serious problems are behind him. In today's stage Robert was considerably fresher and more alert. I think that the day off did him a lot of good. And of course Luis Léon's stage victory played a part in this. Going into a rest day with such a success is ideal. The morale is good then. If you yourself have also finished that stage on a better note, things can only improve after that. I think that Robert will be okay in time for the major mountain stages. Although we should wait a bit and see. He'll continue to be bothered by his back, but he is also so strong that I can imagine that he can still compete with the best of the Tour."

The first group at the finish was a lot smaller in the last two stages. Is it already so tough?
"You often see this in the bigger races, that the large group gets smaller after the first week. Naturally there's exhaustion. But the tension goes down. In the first week everyone is still fresh and highly motivated. Almost all of the riders believe in a stage success. After a week the ratios are clearer and you see more and more riders give up in the final part and push on less. It gets a bit more pleasant. Then the peace in the peloton is also beneficial and this is also an advantage for the leading riders. And so also for Robert."

The stage after the rest day was the first of two so-called transitional stages. Six breakaway riders were permitted to ride far in front, but on the last official climb of the day, the last one was caught up with and the final fireworks of the day ensued. Rabobank leader rider Robert Gesink (photo) and number two in the classification Luis Léon Sanchez were well able to keep up here and the manner in which Gesink in particular got through the day was very promising. Ultimately the race ended in a bunch sprint, in which André Greipel was the strongest. Thomas Voeckler held onto the lead in the general classification, Sanchez remained in second place. Gesink will start on Wednesday with the white jersey again.

Of the two transitional stages, this was the most difficult, with two small mountain passes of the third and two of the fourth category. The stage started out very fast, with the first hour on average above fifty km per hour. Even so, six riders managed to break away, but the rest eventually caught up with them. A small group of five riders, including yellow jersey wearer Voeckler and green jersey wearer Philippe Gilbert and then a tiny group of three tried again, and made the final part very difficult, but a bunch sprint with a peloton of eighty riders could not be avoided. The Rabobank riders did not participate in this, but even so could look back on a great day.

'It's getting better and better'
"I had a good day", stated Robert Gesink. After ten kilometres a report came through that he had fallen, but fortunately this was not the case. "They fell in front of me, which meant I had to stop. And someone rode into my gears from behind, so I had to wait a bit for a new bike." So Gesink got through the first race after the rest day without any trouble. "That rest was important for me, and it also helped me a lot. It's getting better and better and hopefully this can be continued tomorrow. The day after is when the real mountains start again. If it continues to improve like this, I will also feel positive."

Team leader Adri van Houwelingen was also satisfied with this stage. "He went as we had hoped he would. The last bit was tough going, as it seemed from the size of the first peloton. We had five people in that group, of whom Robert Gesink and number two from the classification Luis Léon Sanchez were important, of course." Thanks to Sunday's stage, the Rabobank team went into the rest day on a positive note, said Van Houwelingen. "We actually had three victories there: Robert improved during the race, we were the best in the day team classification, and of course Luis Léon won the stage. Then you finish the week feeling good and you can get going with the work again."

'Nicely in front the whole time'
Not only was Robert Gesink's result excellent, but also his manner of riding gave Adri van Houwelingen a sense of hope. "If Robert had had the level he had on Saturday, he would have come in far behind today. But Robert stayed in a very good position for the entire stage. And when the first peloton got smaller in the final phase, Robert was there. Contador and the Schlecks had to close a gap, for example, but Robert never got into any problems." So Van Houwelingen has no worries for Wednesday's stage either. "That will be a sprint, and for us, simply a matter of getting through the day well. Our ambitions lie more in the days after tomorrow."

For the Rabobank team, the ninth stage of the Tour de France started out on a sad note with the bowing-out of Juanma Garate, but the turbulent race finished in the most positive manner possible with a win by Luis Léon Sanchez. After a run of bad luck earlier in the Tour, things seem to be finally looking up for the Rabobank team. Robert Gesink (photo) also had a better day. "Now i can look back on a stage with a smile, and I really needed that. Hopefully with the rest day on Monday I'll be able to take a step in the right direction again."

Juanma Garate had to bow out of the race, which was not an easy choice. "That was one of the most difficult decisions. Over the past month I have trained a lot with my team mates. I came here in the best form I've been in in recent years. But if you fall, you can't recover in the Tour. Over the past couple of days I really tried to stay in the peloton and every morning I hoped it would go better." Nevertheless, this was not the case and with a mountain stage ahead, beforehand it very quickly became an impossible task. "It could not have worked on a flat race either," stated Garate clearly. "Continuing on was not working out."

'Only barely hanging in there'
With the loss of Juanma Garate, Robert Gesink is now without one of his most important helpers, but at the end of the race things seemed to be going a lot better for him. In previous days this was not the case. "Over the past few days I was only barely hanging in there. I was thinking to myself: 'What am I doing in this horrible race?' Normally I'm very strong mentally. However, now I really needed those men, because alone I just couldn't do it any more," said Gesink with thanks to and in praise of his team mates.  "Now i can look back on a stage with a smile, and I really needed that. Hopefully with the rest day on Monday I'll be able to take a step in the right direction again."

As already stated, his team mates have been of inestimable value to Robert Gesink over the past few days. Gesink could certainly use the support. "Not only am I grateful to the team for the work during the race, but also when we weren't racing. Yesterday after we finished we all went and sat in the bus and they all tried to lift my spirits." That Luis Léon Sanchez then won the stage was also a considerable boost for Gesink. "Of the entire team, Luis Léon speaks English the worst, but he has really perked me up. It's great that he has won. His victory can also give me a boost."

An exceptional date
Naturally Luis Léon Sanchez was ecstatic with his third stage win in the Tour de France. "Who would have thought it? I dreamed of winning a stage, but we had come to this Tour to work for Gesink mainly." To date the year has not gone as he would have hoped, but this victory has sweetened it somewhat. The transfer to the Rabobank was a major event for him, Sanchez told us. "But I had a lot of support from the other Spaniards on the Rabobank team," he said.

After the misfortune earlier on in this Tour, Luis Léon Sanchez hopes that his victory will point the Rabobank team in the right direction. "Unfortunately Gesink lost a minute yesterday, which was a downer. Today will certainly give the team a huge moral boost." In addition, there was another reason for Sanchez which added extra gloss to this victory. "I have already won two staged in the Tour de France. Both times were on 11 July. Because this is tomorrow and it's a rest day, I knew in advance that it wouldn't be the case this year. The fact that I have won on the 10th of July makes it very special for me."

On Sunday, the Rabobank team seemed to rise from the ashes. Luis Léon Sanchez (photo) won the ninth stage of the Tour the France after a long breakaway in a small group of five riders, beating the last two riders to break away with him in the sprint. There also seems to be some good news concerning Robert Gesink who, despite the heave profile of the stage, was able to hold his own in the group of favourites. Once again, it was another frenetic and chaotic race. Top riders such as Vinokourov and Van den Broeck fell so badly that they were forced to give up. In all the chaos, Thomas Voeckler took over the yellow jersey from Thor Hushovd and Luis Léon Sanchez climbed to the second place in the classification at 01:49 from Voeckler. 

The day started out on a sad note for the Rabobank team with the news that Juanma Garate could not continue due to the injuries sustained during his fall along with Robert Gesink on Wednesday.  Initially things weren't looking so good during the race either. Leading rider Gesink was forced to fall back on the first climb (a third category). Three of his team mates waited for him, while Carlos Barredo, Laurens ten Dam and Luis Léon Sanchez tried to join up with escapes, Gesink was brought back into the race, slowly but surely.

"When Robert joined the bunch again, that group with Luis Léon was just gone and there was finally some peace in the peloton. That was not unfavourable for us", admitted Adri van Houwelingen. Then the team leader saw the situation around his leading rider improve somewhat. "We quickly started hearing that the race was going better for him. In any case this was a step compared to Saturday, but this doesn't mean all is 100% changed in relation to Robert. If we didn't have a rest day on Monday, but another stage, it would probably have been another very tough day. Just look at Sylvain Chavanel. He also fell and had a few bad days and then a good day on Saturday, but today he fell back again."

'Savour the success while at rest'
Sanchez' victory and Gesink's lift has ensured an improvement to the morale within the team. "We were ready for it. I mean, how many can a person have? You could see it gradually becoming harder within the team, but with this success we can really push on forward. We wanted a stage victory, that is an objective we have now achieved. We just need to enjoy our success on our rest day and Robert is finally getting the chance for a break to recover more. The body needs time and rest. There's time for this on Monday. Then great things are sure to happen in the coming week."

In any case this is no longer possible with a number of teams, as once again, the number of contenders for good classification placements have been further thinned out. Belgian hope Júrgen Van den Broeck is out of the running with a broken shoulder blade, and Alexandr Vinokourov rode into a ravine and broke his hip.  What was nothing short of scandalous, however, was the manner in which Johnny Hoogerland and former Rabobank team member Juan Antonio Flecher were mowed off the road by a car following the race for French television.  Hoogerland was thrown onto barbed wire and sustained various injuries, but finished the stage, where he was able to pull on the mountain jersey he had regained during the race.

The consequences of Robert Gesink's fall in the fifth stage continue to haunt the Rabobank team in the Tour de France. Also on Saturday, the leading rider's recovery seemed minimal. Once again, thanks to the exemplary support of the team, the difference on Super Besse was limited to just over one minute, but the low morale in the team was palpable. "We're not exactly cheering", stated technical manage Erik Breukink (photo) after the finish. Laurens ten Dam: "This is a major damper. No question.” And Robert Gesink himself: "Today I was wondering what I was doing. I'm not having a whole lot of fun here."

On Friday the leading rider himself tempered the light euphoria around his white jersey and finish in the first group. And on Saturday, his mood was even more sombre, if possible. "The body really doesn't want to do it anymore. Today was a very tough day, and the frustrating thing is, that I came through it with great difficulty. You could actually say I didn't come through it at all." Technical manager Erik Breukink saw his leading rider plodding away and could observe that this was not the 'normal Gesink'. "Normally Robert would be right up there in the first group. This is absolutely not the Robert Gesink we know. Thor Hushovd and Philippe Gilbert finished a good minute in front of Robert. That actually already says quite a lot."

'This is a major downer'
The team mates tried everything. They were able to stabilise the situation until 25 kilometres from the finish for their leading rider reasonably well, but after this it got more and more difficult. Laurens ten Dam also saw this. "You try everything, but you see Robert in pain. It just wasn't working on those last two climbs. It's almost impossible to do. Almost nobody can recover during the Tour. And you simply cannot have such an injury in the Tour. We did have some hope there for a while, because Robert was well in front. But towards the end he fell back. His back is continuing to trouble him. This is a major downer".

The mood among the team management is not super either. "We're not exactly cheering. We can be clear on this," said Erik Breukink sadly. "We are now hoping for a recovery, but Robert doesn't have a lot of room for this. Sunday will be another very tough day. Initially all seemed well after that fall, but on Friday it was clear to us that it wasn't altogether right. Today more physical effort was required and that turned out not to be good at all." Breukink also looked at Juanma Garate, who is continuing to race with a fracture in the upper right arm. "He is not making any progress at all. It is a sad development for the team, but we will continue to hope for improvement. Maybe tomorrow could be it."

'A rotten day'
Robert Gesink himself could not enjoy it. "For me, today was a rotten day and I am expressing this nicely. I had hoped to limit my losses and even join the leaders, but this was out of the question. I did not get anywhere near my normal level. They speeded up once, and I had to back down already. The spirit is ready and willing, but the legs simply cannot deliver what I want. The Tour is already a gruelling race in its own right, but now this is an extra load. I'm not enjoying this much at all." I am a much better rider than what you are seeing here. This I am sure of. It sucks, that I can't do any better."

The eighth stage of the Tour de France was the first stage with more serious climbs. Prior to the start, the big question was how Rabobank leading rider Robert Gesink would manage to hold his ground on such a route after his big fall. Unfortunately in the final part he had to fall behind with his rivals for the classification, but by the skin of his teeth, the loss could be somewhat limited . Rui Costa was the only one of the leading group of nine to be left over and won the stage. The group with the big names finished at 15 seconds, Robert Gesink lost another good minute. In the classification he fell to 17th place, but he did hold onto the white jersey.

In the first race through the low mountain range, nine men broke away in the hope of staying ahead. Four men dropped away on one of the last climbs, as the peloton approached from behind. Robert Gesink had to fall back during this second-category climb, but was able to get back with the help of his team mates. In the final part Costa was able to stay in front of the favourites, his three pacemakers were brought back. The classification riders tested each other somewhat, but there were few differences to be seen. Unfortunately Gesink was too affected by the consequences of his fall in the fifth stage, and in the final kilometres he lost a minutes to his rivals.

White jersey poor consolation
Understandably team leader Adri van Houwelingen Is not looking back over this first mountain stage smiling. After all, his leading rider lost valuable time. "This is not a good day for the team in general, and Robert in particular," said Van Houwelingen. He had still hoped that Gesink could stay in the running during the race. "At the start of the second category climb Robert was well in front, but one increase of speed was already too much for him." Gesink held onto the white jersey, but that could not make up for the loss for Van Houwelingen. "Naturally that's a poor consolation," said Van Houwelingen.

Sunday has another very difficult stage on the programme, before Monday the first rest day. A good two hundred kilometres must be travelled, with second, third and fourth-category climbs. This stage will also provide the necessary fireworks, which naturally won't make it any easier for the Rabobank team. "It certainly isn't a stage to look forward to," admitted Adri van Houwelingen. "They went at it hard today, in any case," was his conclusion. "Tomorrow will certainly not be any easier, if you see how it went today."

Another chaotic stage of the Tour de France. There were many crashes, with favourites literally falling by the wayside and echelons. But as was the case on Thursday, Robert Gesink (photo) was in the good group. He was beside a major fall, of which Bradley Wiggins was one of the victims, but fortunately was able to continue on. After than it was all scuffling and pushing through, because the first group continually moved to the side, but the Rabobank top man held his ground. At first glance the day seemed easier than the previous day, but appearances are deceptive. "I certainly did not feel better than I had felt on Thursday. It was another terrible day, which I only got through because of the team. The guys were amazing", he says in a flash interview. 

It all seemed to go a bit better than Thursday. How do you feel now?
"Well, not really much better than I did on Thursday. That fall is just two days ago. Generally I still feel like an old man. Today and yesterday were two bad days for me. Maybe it all looks better on the television, but that I survived at all today is completely due to the efforts of the team. The guys were amazing. They did everything for me. Without them I really would not have been able for today, because it was a really tough finish. We had to pull out all the stops to be able to keep our place. Naturally I'm pleased, but I'm not in really good form yet."

Once again it was tense and chaotic. How do you prepare yourself for that?
"By being very alert and sticking with the team. It was indeed another miserable race, with much chaos, many near falls and dangerous sections and situations. Not to mention going at almost seventy kilometres an hour on the side, Right up to the white line. If you're stuck in there like I was, it doesn't make you happy. And a day like Thursday, in the rain, doesn't help either. I could do without this type of stage when I'm recovering from injury, but still, the men got me through it brilliantly. They kept me out of the wind during the entire stage and protected me properly during dangerous moments. I was not alone for a second."

That fall which caused Bradley Wiggins to give up, how did you experience it?
"I was beside him and saw it happen. The entire large group suddenly collapsed. At high speed. Luckily I could just keep going. It's just lucky that you're not caught up in situations like these. I could certainly do without something like that. It all looked very nasty indeed."

But the youth jersey - does that still keep your spirits up?
"Well .... Actually for me, Saturday is much more important. That will be a very important stage. I will have to get in with the leaders. Now I'm hoping to be in better form tomorrow. You really need to be able to take a step forward every day. I will hang in there, and make sure this happens. But it would be good if this is the case on Saturday, because that's another dangerous stage, and a day I have to survive. I'm going to give it my all. I knew I was in very good form before the start of the Tour and then you overcome issues like this. I'm not giving up so easily."

Friday's seventh stage of the Tour de France seemed to go better for Robert Gesink (photo). He managed to avoid a major fall, after which his team mates kept him well in front. Other top riders were knocked out of the race (Bradley Wiggins) or lost a lot of time ((Levi Leipheimer, Christopher Horner) in the final killer 50 kilometres, but despite his injuries Gesink held on, climbed to 10th place in the classification and even captured the youth jersey. Geraint Thomas, the best young rider until Friday, lost more than 3 minutes. Mark Cavendish won the sprint of a large group, Bauke Mollema, Lars Boom and Juanma Garate lost as much as 3 minutes in the chaotic final phase.

As already stated, it all looked a lot better, but after the finish Robert Gesink himself made it clear that that was all show. Team leader Adri van Houwelingen also admitted that his leading rider had had another very draining day behind him. "This morning our osteopath Björn Vanmelkebeke observed that Robert's back was stiffer than yesterday. But for now we are going to assume that all complaints are of a temporary nature. At the moment it's no fun, but as a team we know how to keep the damage under control." After Friday's race, the team leader also spoke to team members separately. "I complimented them on a great day. As a team we functioned exceptionally well."

Saturday will bring the first serious mountains of the Tour. Robert Gesink sounds in fighting form for this stage in the interview on this website. Team leader Van Houwelingen is also quite hopeful. "For the first time we're going to over a thousand metres. It's terrain that simply suits Robert better. I think that his most difficult week of the Tour is behind him. In spite of everything, we are hopeful about the race to Super Besse." In the interim, the white jersey is of secondary importance. Van Houwelingen: "Right now, I see it as nothing more than a consolation prize. The white jersey only has value in Paris and then in combination with a good classification placement."

Boonen and Wiggins no longer in the running
During Friday's race, from time to time the hearts of the Rabobank riders collectively skipped a beat. Once again there were several falls, particularly in the final part. After Tom Boonen had definitively stepped into the following car, another of the favourites, Bradley Wiggins, fell out of the running.  He was involved in the large fall in the peloton and broke a collarbone. Levi Leipheimer and Christopher Horner also hit the asphalt. They lost considerable time. This all means that the small group of likely candidates has been significantly thinned out by falls in the first week. Van Houwelingen: "Today others suffered the misfortune that we have already experienced. All in all, we've come through the first week okay. Now we can only hope that our leading rider recovers quickly."

This also applies for Juanma Garate, considered something of a miracle within the team, as he is still participating. "For me, this morning was the best moment, sitting in the bus with nine riders still in the race," stated the team leader. "I also told Juan that there was no pressure on him today. The Tour is on for another two weeks. He must try to recover without forcing himself and if that takes five or nine days, it doesn't matter. Garate might still be able to play a part in the mountains later."

In the Rabobank team, Robert Gesink (photo) and Juanma Garate were the two most seriously injured riders in the falls during the fifth stage of the Tour de France. Gesink suffered many scratches, had to get his right elbow stitched and complained about pain in his back. As for Garate, there has even been a small fracture found in his upper right arm. Even so, both riders lined up at the start of the longest stage in the Tour. Immediately after the finish, they shared how they survived the day.

'It got better after an hour'
Naturally Juanma Garate's shoulder hurt during the race. "If I keep the same position on the bike, and don't move, then it's fine," was his dry observation. "It got better after an hour and I took some painkillers to ease the pain. But when I have to change speed or accelerate, than it's very hard." For Garate, finishing this race seemed to be a mental question more than anything else: "I finished today due to character. I don't know how I finished. Tomorrow is another day and then it might be better."

Riding at this level with an injury is a hard task, said Garate. "You have to be one hundred percent. If you have any injury, it's almost impossible to ride." Despite having been diagnosed with a fracture in his upper arm, for now giving up is not an option for Garate: "We took some pictures and saw that it is slightly broken. But I have to continue. We have been working for months to be one hundred percent here and I must keep trying for as long as is possible. For now, it is as it is, and we will just have to wait."

'The day after such a bang is very very difficult'
Naturally everyone was curious about how Rabobank leading rider Robert Gesink survived the sixth stage. It was certain no easy day for recovery, he said after the finish. "I had a tough time. The body really didn't want to today. I hope it gets better, otherwise there's little point in me being here," was his first reaction. The longest stage does not make recovery any easier, either. "You can only hope that it goes okay. Such a tough final part and a difficult finish make it hard," Gesink looks back on the stage.

While underway, Robert Gesink also had to struggle with technical difficulties and had to change his bike. "After changing the bike it did go better, I have to say. It's all a little bit psychological. If it doesn't work then it really doesn't work. And the day after such a bang is very very difficult. We had already said that we needed to get through the days and I have now come through one day, so we'll see how things are tomorrow. Gesink's final conclusion was that he was relieved to have made it to the finish.

"We're not jumping up and down for joy, but we're not dissatisfied with today's developments either." Team leader Adri van Houwelingen sat down quickly in the Rabobus after the finish of the sixth Tour stage. There he could observe that the difficult and dangerous day had not caused any extra damage. Robert Gesink (photo) even finished in the relatively small first group of 62 riders. Juanma Garate, the most worrisome rider of the day, made the finish in Lisieux where Bauke Mollema looked set to surprise. However, in the last few hundred metres, he wasn't equal to the power of the group of specialist sprinters. Edvald Boasson Hagen was the winner. His countryman Thos Hushovd held onto the yellow jersey.

Members of the Rabobank team were regarding the sixth stage with some concern. While it was for the most part a flat run, no single stage in this Tour de France has taken place without stress and tension. To add to this, the weather forecasts were not great. Ultimately half of the race took place in the rain, but fortunately further damage for the riders was limited to just a few flat tyres and other technical hitches, such as Robert Gesink's damaged spoke. The leading rider then changed bicycles twice. Once because of the damaged spoke, and not long after, because he 'was not comfortable on the reserve bike', as Adri van Houwelingen clarified.

'Six riders in bandages'
The team leader was pleased he didn't have any more bad news to share. "In the light of the circumstances, today has actually gone reasonably smoothly. This was the maximum of what we had been hoping for", he stated. "Almost the entire team was battered. We started the race with six riders in bandages. We expected Robert to be able to handle it mentally, he's so strong in this regard. It looks grim that it went well, even though it must have been a painful run. We hope that Friday is another day for taking it easy a bit."

Also for Juanma Garate. An x-ray on Wednesday evening in a French hospital indicated that the Basque man suffered a small fracture in the right upper arm in the collective fall with Gesink, and after consulting with the medical staff and team management, he started out on Thursday. "Initially Garate was the greatest concern. He has managed it and that is very gratifying." Van Houwelingen hopes that the climber can recover some more before the mountains. "We can really use him then, but i think that Garate's recovery will take longer than Gesink's. There's still hope concerning him."

In Thursday's stage, the Rabobank team limited themselves to protecting the leading rider and a position in the peloton. Other Dutch riders took up the attack. Johnny Hoogerland and Lieuwe Westra of Team Vacansoleil were part of a leading group of five, and this group gained a maximum head start of ten minutes, but ultimately this breakaway didn't stand a chance either. Hoogerland managed to recover the polkadot jersey. The last rider in this five was caught up in the approach to the final climb, 2 kilometres from the finish. Bauke Mollema tried there briefly, but he could not push through the top sprinters. The peloton broke up, but Robert Gesink held onto his position in the first group, with the necessary difficulty.

Rabobank team leader Adri van Houwelingen (photo) saw his leading rider Robert Gesink escape serious physical injury after a fall in the fifth stage of the Tour de France. Upon examination, Gesink turned out to have sustained many scratches and his right elbow also needed stitching, but according to Van Houwelingen, the consequences are not likely to cause any problems. "It's not so bad that he has broken anything, in any case. We'll know in a few days if it's serious, or if it's okay.

Many falls today. Can any particular reason for this be indicated?
"Each fall is actually unique, so the fact that there were several falls today is also something of a coincidence. It might also be a combination of the course and the wind. Today there was a side wind and back with, and then it's a little more nerve-racking. This is normal at the start of a big race, but now a little more serious. It's also part of the race, in the sense that it isn't unique. Naturally you would prefer it if there were no falls, but it happens."

So it wasn't the case that the route was too dangerous?
"The roads were certainly very narrow, but the peloton was also simply nervous. However, we didn't sustain any damage on those narrow little roads. Robert fell on a wide road. Brajkovic fell, Garate fell over him, then Robert, and finally Barredo. It was more the speed at which the fall occurred. At that point they were doing seventy kilometres an hour. That makes it that bit more painful."

To what extent does Robert Gesink's fall worry you in light of the coming days?
"Naturally it's no fun, but he can still go on. It's not so bad that he has broken anything, in any case. We'll know in a few days if it's serious, or if it's okay. Tomorrow Robert will probably be stiff as a board. Our job now is to get him through the night. He needs rest. We need to the coming days well, then it can all go reasonably well later."

It took a some time before the competition doctor could help Robert. That must have been frustrating.
"He had to cycle for 25 more kilometres before a Tour doctor could take a look at his injuries. The pressure around the peloton didn't let up anywhere. After Robert's fall, the doctors couldn't get in there directly because of the cameras. There were more motorbikes than riders in the area. It would be good if during dangerous moments like that, measures were taken so that the treatment of riders takes precedence. This is almost impossible to do now."

And once again the team is unlucky at the start of the Tour.
"As I've already stated: this is the occupational hazard. You would prefer it didn't happen, but it can happen. And we are now experiencing once again at the start of the Tour, but I think we can deal with the fallout from it. I also think that Robert is mentally so strong that he will survive this. Fortunately there are not crucial races over the next few days. We will do everything possible to get through the coming days as best we can.

The fifth stage of the Tour de France was marred by several falls. Of the Rabobank team, Robert Gesink (photo) was the rider most affected, although he was certainly not the only Rabobank rider to hit the tarmac involuntarily. While he got a fright, fortunately Gesink could still continue on his way despite some scrapes and, thanks to help from his team mates, got back into the peloton. Eventually the bunch sprint took place as expected, with Mark Cavendish as the winner. Gesink finished in the peloton and so lost no time.

The stage was initially a classic sprint. Four riders were given safe conduct, but their head starts were kept under control. Towards the beginning of the final part, however, the race was marred by some falls. Robert Gesink hit the dirt, along with Barlos Barredo and Juanma Garate, and others. Luckily the Rabobank rider was able to continue the race, which Janez Brajkovic was unable to do. He was forced to abandon the race after the same fall. Soon after Maarten Tjallingii had to climb out of a trench in one of the other falls during this stage. Other victims included Alberto Contador and Tom Boonen.

The peloton caught up with the leading group at forty kilometres, but because of the chaos it seemed to experience a moment of paralysis. Jérémy Roy and Thomas Voeckler took advantage of this and grabbed a minute's head start. In the final fifteen kilometres, however, order was restored and there was eventually a sprint. Mark Cavendish was the unsurprising winner of today's stage. With regard to time, the Rabobank team ultimately did not incur any losses. Robert Gesink even managed to climb to fifteenth place in the general classification.

Garate and Barredo also fell
After being examined by the team's doctor Dion van Bommel, Robert Gesink turned out to have scrapes over almost his entire body and his right elbow needed to be stitched, but there was no indication of any fracture. Juanma Garate and Carlos Barredo were also involved in Gesink's fall. "Of the two, Barredo got off the lighter in that one," said team leader Adri Van Houwelingen. "Garate is having a little more trouble. He's got some bruising and has been complaining about a sprain in the groin area. Today we'll get cleaned up as well as we can and then tomorrow we'll have to see what the consequences are."

Robert Gesink himself said his back was causing the most worry. "Most of the pain is in my lower back by the pelvis. I landed on it badly. The elbow was opened and I have a few scrapes, but the back is the most annoying." Naturally Gesink was upset, albeit briefly. He almost saw his Tour pass him by in a split second. "Shortly after that fall for a few minutes it seemed I wouldn't be able to go on at all, but thanks in part to the guys, I got through it okay.  I lost my morale completely halfway through the race, but in the final part it went a whole lot better and that is encouraging for the rest of the Tour," Gesink finished on a positive note.

During the Tour de France, young talent from the Rabobank ProTeam and Rabobank Continental Team take turns to discuss their colleagues' performances in France. Steven Kruijswijk, Tom-Jelte Slagter, Jetse Bol and Wilco Kelderman just might all be Tour riders of the future. How do they view that largest cycling circus in the world this summer? Analyses and opinions from Steven, Tom-Jelte, Jetse and Wilco. Jetse Bol on the sprints.: "Of course every sprint is different, but you always learn something when you watch a sprint like that on television."

Are you following the Tour as much as possible?
"I definitely see the final parts. It was a fantastic stage today. Everyone expected Philippe Gilbert, but Cadel Evans is naturally also a rider who can handle finishes like this. It is a decent finish. I have ridden it, but at the time this particular finish was not here. Naturally this makes a considerable difference. It was particularly surprising that Alberto Contador still came in so short. Evans was already well started and Contador got close to him very quickly. If the finish line had been a few metres further on, he might have won."

You have already won three races in Brittany, so you're in a position to tell us what cycling is like there.
"It's quite uncomfortable. There are no climbs, but nor is it flat country. In addition, you ride over a lot of D roads, which are narrow and the asphalt on them does not always make for a smooth ride. It can also be quite windy, even though that didn't make any difference today. But it's up and down hills all day, there are no nice roads for a smooth, comfortable ride. If you have to control the race, it's particularly difficult here. The progress seems standard with a long breakaway that can be won back, but it's not that easy in Brittany."

As a sprinter, what do you think of the new plan for the green jersey?
"The updated interim sprint is better planned than previously. Take yesterday. There were actually two sprints. I consider this to have been brilliant. Next week there'll be the mountains and those are wonderful races, of course, but this is more my thing. Then you look at the race differently. I have noticed that the trains are finding it a bit more difficult. I am also more of an individual sprinter and prefer to search out my own way in the final part. Of course every sprint is different, but you always learn something when you watch a sprint like that on television."

The much-feared fourth stage of the Tour de France lived up to its reputation once again on Tuesday. The short but particularly steep finishing climb ensured the first direct duel between the favourites for the classification. Of these, Cadel Evans seemed to be the best, beating Alberto Contado in the sprint with a difference of the width of a tyre. Robert Gesink (photo) did not participate in the first group of 10 top riders. He lost 8 seconds, as did his team mates Bauke Mollema and Carlos Barredo. Gesink, who was not in the least bit upset after the finish, managed to climb in the classification. Thor Hushovd held onto the yellow jersey. Gesinks is now 17th at 20 seconds.

Some commentators called it a 'little push', but in the team the difference between the leading rider and rivals such as Evans, Contador, Samuel Sanchez and Frank Schleck and specialists such as Philippe Gilvert and Thor Hushovd is not considered abnormal. "You don't include time loss in it, but you know that this can happen in such a finish. Robert is simply not a specialist in this type of short, explosive work. He comes into his own in a longer climb", analysed Adri van Houwelingen. The team leader went on to observe that everything had gone to plan. "Robert was well-disposed in the final climb, but during the rest of the stage everything went well. Despite those 8 seconds today, we are still well on course. We know for sure we are still on the right track."

'Longer climb suits me better'
Robert Gesink himself couldn't see any dark clouds either. "I'm no specialist on climbs like that one. A longer one suits me much better. Naturally I'm not totally satisfied, but it's not that bad either. I wasn't in too much pain. It was difficult, but I was still close behind." He saw another positive element to the day. "Once again, the team was super. I was well set-up for that final climb, and Bauke was doing a good job assisting me. The team rode really well. The entire day went reasonably according to plan."

The other Rabobank riders were also feeling good on that overcast ride through Brittany. Laurens ten Dam: "It was bad weather in the first half, but I didn't find it too cold. The final 5 kilometres were very tough going." Bauke Mollema: "I feel in top form. The legs are good." The climber initially set the pace on the Mûr de Bretagne, but had to back down when Alberto Contador speeded up. "Then the whole lot of them exploded, but I was able to keep my tempo." This worked out well for him in the final part, despite the chaotic finish.  "Everyone wants to be in front at the finish. It was also a long, straight road in the approach to the climb. That was very stressful. Staying in front was difficult, but at the start of the climb I could close up immediately and help Robert."

'Still hectic and nervous days'
Adri van Houwelingen expects more of the same for the rest of this week. "I can already predict that there will be more chaotic, nervous stage finishes on Wednesday and Thursday. We'll continue to take care. Nor are we going to calculate any loss of time in for the coming days, but it could still happen. We need to stay alert and will remain so until after Friday's stage. Only on Saturday will we have another idea and then our team will probably be active in the race in a different manner."

Koos Moerenhout (photo) is currently busy with his eighth Tour de France, but this year everything is different. For the first time he is not here as a rider, but is instead facilitating the Rabobank team. He is a media liaison and his job is to keep everything running as smoothly as possible. "Many many things are organised in advance, but in the Tour, some things do turn out differently to what's planned. And in all the chaos we try to stay calm and sort it out."

And what's it like to experience the Tour from the other side?
"What stands out is the amount of time we have to wait. A lot has to be sorted out around the team, such as contact with the media, but also issues such as what the cooks need to prepare for the guests. You just have to make sure that everything goes as smoothly as possible. But when the race is actually going on, there is usually a relocation on our programme. Today we were there very quickly, so we had to wait until the riders came in. Lots of waiting and travelling, so."

The different with your Tours as a rider must be huge.
"This is the first time I've experienced the Tour in this manner, so it is still an acclimatisation and learning process. I have indeed taken part in seven Tours, but as a rider you definitely experience it differently. You are mainly focused on the race and make sure you get as much rest as possible when you're not actually racing. Now it's totally the reverse. You have to go sort out all kinds of things before and after the face, and during the race itself it's much quieter. This does mean that the days are now longer. But it's enjoyable work, so not bad at all."

Do you still get the itch to race when you see the riders start?
"For me, that is a chapter that is well and truly closed. Naturally you remember what a rider goes through at the start of a race, you can still conjure up that feeling. But I'm now busy doing something else and that's good too. I still have to get used to another rhythm and lifestyle, because that is very different to how you were used to it as a rider. However, because it's all new to me, I still have to make it all my own, and that is a lot of fun."

Riders often experience the Tour as exceptionally chaotic. This will not be very different for the team management.
"The Tour is the competition of the year, of course. The riders and support staff work very intensively towards this. As a member of the team management, you want to have as much organised in advance as possible. The team leaders and trainers organise high altitude training, for example, and hotel plans are made, the chefs assisted in their preparations. Many many things are organised beforehand, but in the Tour, some things do turn out differently to what's planned. And in all the chaos we try to stay calm and sort it out."

The third stage of the Tour de France seemed to be a platform for the sprinters, and this was also how it turned out to be. Today's winner was not Mark Cavendish, who almost everyone predicted would have his first stage win in this Tour, but American-born adopted Fleming Tyler Farrar. Rabobank riders did not get caught up in the dangerous fight among sprinters in the final kilometre. The most important objective of the day, which was not to incur any damage for the classification, was achieved with verve. There was no change in the classification. Robert Gesink finished in the belly of the peloton, Another hectic day over.

For both riders and team leaders of the Rabobank team, the day's objective was cut and dried: Survival. "Today we could not win anything, but we could have lost a lot", as Bauke Mollema (photo) immediately clarified. So no adventures, but complete control around the leading rider. "And this takes more energy than many realise", said team leader Adri van Houwelingen. "It not only physical energy, but it also takes a lot out of you mentally, especially the leading rider. You have to be alert for the entire stage. Of course there were dangerous points today, the bridge and the final part, but we all saw on Saturday that situations can just as easily occur on straight stretches of road."

It meant being careful in the peloton all day Monday, during which there was greater control than on Saturday. Did you plan to attack? Van Houwelingen: "That would have been pointless. This was very much a sprinter's race. Sprinter teams seized the opportunity and the Garmin team was also doing everything it could to hold onto the yellow jersey. You could already see beforehand that there would be little success achieved by attacking this time. We mainly focused on control around our leading rider and this went very well."

Bauke Mollema had also reconciled himself to the day's scenario. "You knew in advance that you wouldn't be able to escape a major sprint in this stage. We don't have a sprinter on our team. Then you know you shouldn't go along with it. Nothing to be done about it. So as a group we helped the leading rider as well as we could, because you never know what might happen. But our races will come." "Up until now, the boys have been well up to the mark," Adri van Houwelingen feels. "Whether we've done well as a team here will be seen in Paris in three weeks' time, but for now it's looking very good indeed." Lauren ten Dam, who participated with a stitched knee, also survived the day very well. He never experienced any problems, and that is also very good news. 

On Saturday, Robert Gesink (photo) escaped from drama in the Tour de France, and on Sunday was able to enjoy the first success with the support of his team mates. In the team time trial, the strong Rabobank team was able to undermine Alberto Contador and a handful of other rivals. While Bradley Wiggins, Cadel Evans and the Schleck brothers finished in front of him, the differences were minimal. He finished the first weekend in good spirits. "A very good start. You need a bit of good luck, and we had that this time. But we have to stay alert. We saw what can happen suddenly on Saturday."

The leading rider was very pleased with his team in the team time trial. "Everyone rode well. As a team, we were super. Maarten Tjallingii was very strong at the start. Lars Boom at the end, that was truly impressive. A few of the guys rode to the limits of their energy in the final kilometres. I also found myself to be good. This is a good feeling during the time trial and at the end I was able to take a few good turns. This also generates great confidence for the remainder of the Tour." Like the team leader and team mate Lars Boom, he also felt that while underway, the team left nothing to chance. "We rode and performed to the max. We can be very satisfied with these time differences."

Gesink was particularly pleased with the finish. "The final part was the most difficult, with an incline. Certainly not mountains, so on your time bike, you reach them travelling very fast. In the final part we really rode like a train. It was incredibly fast. There we were faster there than Garmin was, and they have won the time trial. We managed to get ahead of Saxobank there. Then you ride an absolutely brilliant time trial as a team." Team leader Adri van Houwelingen: "If you want to play a part in the classification, you need a time trial like this. Getting seventh place is actually a detail and something of a pity."

Contador at half a minute. How do you regard that? Gesink: "The start was good, in any case. And of course we are happy with the differences. But I'm going to take it one day at a time. We mustn't lose our heads and go too fast. We all saw what can happen on Saturday, many falls. It was incredibly dicey. Anything can happen anywhere. We have to stay careful and alert. In the coming week we're going to ride through a region known for having strong wind, so there could still be a few more treacherous races in the pipeline. We're not there yet - not by a long shot."

Despite achieving just 7th place in Sunday's team time trial, the Rabobank Cycling Team can look forward to the rest of the race with optimism. The difference with the winning team Garmin Cervelo was just 12 seconds. Team captain Robert Gesink's loss to rivals such as Cadel Evans (8 seconds), Bradley Wiggins (also 8) and the Schleck brothers (7) was trifling in comparison with the ground he gained over others. Gesink was 16 seconds faster than Alberto Contador, 27 seconds faster than Jürgen van den Broeck, 45 seconds faster than Ivan Basso and a good 01:10 faster than Samuel Sanchez. Gesink himself called it a 'true team performance', with Maarten Tjallingii setting the pace at the start and the excellent Lars Boom (photo) in the final kilometres.

There was little upset about the very minor setback of a seventh place in the day result within the team. "That's pretty much the lower limit of what we had been expecting." Team leader Adri van Houwelingen was very pleased with the time differences between his leading rider Robert Gesink and other competitors. After the first treacherous weekend the damage is well under control, while other favourites are already reasonably far behind. Seventh place doesn't seem to be bothering the team leader much either. "I'd much rather seventh place like this, than fifth place at 30 seconds. Today's difference between number 1 and number 7 was smaller than the difference between 7 and 8. That says something about our performance. We're content with it."

Not too much euphoria
It could indeed have been much worse this weekend. Gesink survived the chaos on Saturday's first stage with a smidgen of good luck. On Sunday he was one of the better riders in the time trial. For now it has all worked out very well for the Rabobank team, but Van Houwelingen cautions against too much euphoria too soon. "We still have a few more tough days this week, with treacherous and dangerous routes. We've had nothing to complain about in the opening weekend, and today the men's form seemed very good. Robert got far ahead of the competition. They must first manage to close that gap. It's a good bonus for us after the first days, but we have to stay careful and on-the-ball."

On Sunday the differences at the top were minimal, but the Rabobank camp didn't think there was anything more in this. Van Houwelingen: "We left nothing to chance. Everyone played their part well and we took the turns in good formation. The team was very homogeneous today." Lars Boom, who set the pace towards the end of the stage, felt the same. "The team was balanced. It all went very well right from the start. I think we can afford to be very satisfied with this. This was simply the maximum today." The team leader also thought that with a later start, the results would not be much different. "Garmin started 14 minutes after us and that team won. We didn't suffer an disadvantage from that early start. It was more like an advantage, because I could keep telling our guys that we had the fastest time. This is more motivational than telling them we're in fifth place."

Sunday went well for Laurens ten Dam, despite his fall on Saturday, during which his right knee was cut open. The injury was stitched on Saturday evening, and on Sunday Laurens was able to take his turns well. "That was good to see," said Van Houwelingen. "Now we just have to wait and see how Monday's longer race will turn out." You're so concentrated in a team time trial that in the excitement you can forget the pain. Let's hope that this remains the case."

The Tour de France has started once again, this time with a normal stage instead of a prologue. Rabobank team leader Adri van Houwelingen had expected a hectic race, because that's part and parcel of the Tour. Fortunately his leading rider Robert Gesink did not lose any time and the team leader's confidence is intact. "Sunday is actually the first important day, with the team time trial. This is the first test in which we will really see where we stand."

The Tour de France is once again underway, and is immediately fast and furious.
"Today's falls are part and parcel of the Tour. They always occur in the first week. People haven't yet found their place in the peloton, and this creates nervousness. Riders takes risks in order to be as far in front as possible and to win their place. Usually there are smaller falls that don't have serious consequences, but today two major falls in the final part had a major influence on the course of the race. Luckily for Robert Gesink, the damage was limited."

This year's Tour had no prologue. Is this a pity?
"For me it really doesn't matter all that much. The differences after a prologue are small and I don't think that it has had any influence on how today's stage went either. People were just as nervous as they would have been with a prologue. Sunday is actually the first important day, with the team time trial. That is the first test in which we will really see how we stand and a nerve-wracking day for everyone on the team."

For riders and support staff?
"Yes, certainly, for everyone involved with the team. Naturally the riders have to just sweat it out, the team time trial is one of the toughest disciplines. And for them, there's also the suspense of finding out whether they can fulfil their obligations, because that is therefore even more important. But for the support staff too, it's a day when everything must be correct. For example, the mechanics need to make sure that they have all the materials they need, and of course this is also a big responsibility."

Does it give peace of mind, that all the preparations are done and the Tour is finally underway?
"Recently everyone has noticed that we look forward to the Tour with great confidence. The preparations have gone as we wished. Of course you can never know in advance how things will actually turn out here, but we are confident. Such a chaotic first stage therefore changes nothing in our plans, certainly because Robert hasn't lost any time as a result of his fall. And fortunately he suffered no physical damage, so we're all still glowing with confidence."

Things were looking a bit grim in the final part of the first stage of the Tour de France for the Rabobank team. Two major falls fragmented the peloton into several smaller groups. Rabobank captain Robert Gesink (photo) survived the first crash, but after the second fell behind the other favourites. However, he did not sustain any noteworthy damage and happily did not lose much time overall. Gesink came in almost four minutes behind stage winner Philippe Gilbert, but because his fall occurred within the 3-kilometre limit, he was awarded the time loss in accordance with the rules. This was also the case with his team mate Carlos Barredo. In the chaos that ensued, the other Rabobank riders lost more time.

The day's biggest loser was ultimately top favourite Alberto Contador. The Spaniard crossed the line in a small group that included Bauke Mollema and Luis Léon Sanchez, 01:20 behind the winner. The Rabobank ProTeam were among the unluckier of the teams. Only the captain and his assistant survived the first big hit without any damage, and as a result, were in front of all the others. Laurens ten Dam was the most seriously injured rider. In the first large fall in the final 10 kilometres, his right knee was scraped badly and he ultimately lost more than 6 minutes. According to the latest reports, he can start on Sunday in the team time trial.

Short of hands and eyes
Team leaders Adri van Houwelingen and Frans Maassen were lacking hands and eyes at the end of the initially calm stage. 10 kilometres from the finish, several riders in the middle of the peloton skidded and fell, including Laurens ten Dam and Lars Boom. Robert Gesink and Carlos Barredo had just found a space at the front of the group, so they initially remained out of harm's way. "I had expected that it would become hectic and went to the front to be on the safe side," said Robert Gesink. He had just got there when the first fall occurred.

"I got out of that one unscathed, but the second time, shortly before the finish, I couldn't avoid. They fell right in front of me, I went down and then got another few riders on top of me." The damage the captain sustained was ultimately limited to a few scratches and a completely smashed-up bike. Through this he lost almost another four minutes, but Gesink himself knew that it would be okay. "We were within the final three kilometres. So luckily, it wasn't a disaster."

'Limited damage'
Team leader Adri van Houwelingen was also quick to see that all was well. "It's a pity that a number of our guys lost time, but the most important thing is that Robert got through this in one piece and didn't lose any more time." The team leader was pleased to observe that the damage remained limited. It all could have turned out much worse. "You know that a first stage tends to be frantic,  with or without a prologue, it doesn't matter." Most of the riders also got a fright during the opening stage, even though the scariest part, the causeway run, was still ridden in a neutralised peloton. The rest of the race was controlled by a hopeless flight of three riders, including  Lieuwe Westra, and the extremely frightening final part. Everyone expected Philippe Gilbert to win. This was a given. 

The most important objective for the Rabobank team in the Tour of Califonria was a stage victory, and that was not successful. This is despite the fact that the team fulfilled a significant role almost every day of the race, in attacks, the final part of almost every stage and also with Laurens te Dam in the classification. Team leader Frans Maassen was therefore also proud of his riders. "They rode fantastically almost all week. Nevertheless, I still have mixed feelings. The failure to achieve a stage win is a disappointment." An interview with Frans Maassen on his first Tour of California.

What were the objectives for this tour?
"First and foremost, a stage victory, and secondly, race strongly and offensively. The classification had a lower priority. Ultimately everything has turned out this way, even the classification with Lau. But we couldn't get that most important thing. We can pinpoint some reasons for this. Sometimes we missed some luck and we ourselves also missed some opportunities. The cancellation of the first stage was a disappointment. We had been at Lake Tahoe for a week already. The first stage was to be ridden around that lake, we had prepared very thoroughly for it.  Oscar saw possibilities there, but we could have also done better the days after."

But it was a good race for Rabobank?
"Oh definitely, I am also very satisfied about the course, the attitudes of the guys, and the way they raced. That's a given. I enjoyed the offensive outlook and the stamina. There were many good elements for us in this race. Naturally with Laurens as the highlight. I was secretly hoping that he would be able to play a role in the classification, but you don't get something like that just like that. But he really managed to pull it off. I had not expected Lau to do so well on Saturday. That was a super performance. I also saw a very strong Maarten Tjallingii, and Coen Vermeltfoort improved too. That also applied for Martens and Niermaan. They are getting better all the time."

Even so, the lost victory weighs heavily on you.
"Yes, because I am team leader and want to win with this team. Racing like we have raced this week is fantastic, but when you don't win anything you still have an empty sort of feeling. We totally deserved it, but in many respects it didn't go completely well and we didn't always make good choices. A good lesson for the future. On the other hand, all of us enjoyed the level of our men so intensively, that this makes a lot of it better, but not everything."

This was your first Tour of California. How have you experienced these past few weeks here?
"As an amazing sports event. This is a really lovely and well-organised race. Absolutely fantastic. It's very lively here. The mountain stages were like stages in the Tour de France. People here are extremely enthusiastic. That was very infectious and a real kick for the riders. The route was also stunning. The mountain passes have wider roads than we have in Europe, which makes it look easier, but it certain isn't easier. That last mountain pass on Saturday was really beautiful, but also really difficult. Tougher than many alpine giants. I would like to come back here again."

This week almost everything went perfectly as planned in the Tour of California. Almost everything, because the main objective of a stage victory was not achieved. The team was involved in the attack several times and tried to launch Oscar Feire (photo) three times for the final sprint. The attacks were not successful, here and there they were obstructed and Oscar did not have the wonder legs for the sprint over the past week. The closest he got to it was on Sunday in the final stage, but he 'only' achieved fourth place. Matthew Goss was the winner. Christopher Horner remained first in the classification and Laurens ten Dam ended at sixth place there.

On two occasions it looked like the race on Sunday could still end well for the Rabobank team. Twenty kilometres before the finish, Maarten Tjallingii and Dane Martin Mortensen launched an attack from behind four early breakaway riders. The pair bridged the margin of one and a half minutes with the leading road at a very fast pace, but in the meantime the sprinters teams had organised themselves at the head of the peloton. This triggered a breathtaking hunt in which Tjallingii and Mortensen stayed twenty seconds in front of the peloton for ten kilometres. However, this was doomed to fail and did with five kilometres still to go.

Lost pace setters
After that it was 'everyone for Oscar'. "We wanted to give it all in the last lap of that circuit and keep Oscar going for as log as possible. I understand that that wasn't a total success, but then I didn't see the preparations for the sprint," admitted team leader Frans Maassen. Freire lost pace setters Paul Martens and Coen Vermeltfoort in a turn. The Spaniard had to do the final kilometre alone. Because of this he was in full-on wind twice, but in the final straight run he was in a good position, right behind Matthew Goss. Freire was not closed in, but could not move past the Australian. Goss won and Freire came in fourth.

Frans Maassen was open in his analysis immediately after the finish. "I think it was an honest arrival. Oscar was in a reasonably good place and if you can't get past, you're short of time. Good, but not super. It's a pity, because the team and Oscar really did deserve a win. We worked very hard for it all week. But there are enough fast men here, those guys who won the sprints are all great riders."

Boom's knee injury
The Rabobank team ended the stage on Sunday without Lars Boom, who on Saturday quit during the Queen's race seven kilometres from the end. He started the Tour of California with slight knee problems which did not go away. On Saturday the knee played up in the very heavy going. Eventually on Mount Baldy continuing on was pointless. "There's nothing meaningful to be said about the seriousness of the injury," stated team doctor Dion van Bommel. On his return to the Netherlands, Book will go to the Meander Medical Centre in Amersfoort for further tests.

For the second time this week, Laurens ten Dam (photo) held his own in a mountain stage. On Saturday, he was even better than he was at the uphill finish in San José. The Rabo Pro Team climber's legs were at their best on Mount Baldy. For a time he even dreamed of a stage win and the podium in the final classification, but less than three kilometres from the end it simply became too much. However, third place in the daily classification and the sixth with a spot-mark in the general classification isstill something to be proud of. "I still hadn't felt my legs all day and was actually hoping the race would get harder. Well, it did."

You kept up really well in that final climb. How did that feel?
"I had fantastic legs this time. Different from in San José earlier on this week, because then they weren't so good. Today everything was very supple and fast. Lower down in the final climb, I could already see riders move to the side who were above me in the classification. I was still feeling in great form. Then you tend to get to daydreaming, you don't know what could happen. Yes, I did think about a stage win. I was as good as that. But at a certain point those Radioshack guys were very strong going up a very steep part of the hill. That was when I could feel it coming. And soon after I couldn't follow anymore. But by then I was still the only one with them."

You said earlier on this week that you would do well in this sixth stage. You've kept your word.
"I had expected this, but of course you must also have good legs. I still hadn't felt them all day and was actually hoping the race would get harder. You hope for legs like these in the Queen's stage. In the final part, my wish for a more difficult race also came true. After the finish I was absolutely wrecked. I absolutely gave it my all. Eight seconds from 4th place in the classification is a pity then, but I could not have managed to achieve this today as well. But I was thinking of the first day. Then I lost 15 counts in a rather silly manner. That annoys me now."

You ultimately gained almost a minute on Andy Schleck and you are the best non-American in both the race result and the classification. How does that make you feel?
"Really satisfied, of course. The whole year has been going well, but this week I've grown more in this race.  Going uphill today was considerably better than earlier this week and the result then wasn't bad. Naturally you get a kick if you can pass out riders like Schleck while you yourself can still forge on ahead. But it's not a surprise for me. I didn't have good legs in San José, but the difference with the others there was very small. Today I was feeling in top form for the entire race. It had to come out. I even thought briefly I'd manage to win, but the two Shack guys were just too strong."

There was no way you could hook onto them?
"I was having a difficult moment right then. They were also riding away shortly before a descent, which appeared as a complete surprise in front of me, as it wasn't clearly indicated in the route book. But the Americans know this mountain pass like the backs of their hands. And they used this knowledge well. Me, I was taken by surprise. But I couldn't keep up with them. At a certain point they were simply going too fast. I was already pleased to be the last one keeping up with them. After that descent I did the rest of that climb myself and that worked out well. Not forced, because then you might need to stop. I can be satisfied."

It's going well with the team this week.
"We're doing well, I think. Pity we still haven't won a stage. In that respect we're not completely happy. We've been close a few times now. Today I thought for a minute that I might manage that. But we are riding a very challenging race,  you see from the public that they appreciate this. The enthusiasm here is amazing. Today it seems a bit like an Alpine mountain pass in the Tour de France. It was a fantastic stage. I hope that on Sunday we can still launch Oscar for a stage win, because this is the only thing we're missing."

While they have not yet won any stages, the Rabo Pro Team has ridden a superb Tour of California. They have distinguished themselves well, with a knock-out performance almost every day and with Laurens ten Dam (photo) in an excellent position in the classification. On Saturday the top rider showed great things in the short (121.9 km) but very tough Queen's stage, with the finish on Mount Baldy, more than 2000 metres above sea level. Ten Dam finished third, a short distance behind Americans Levi Leipheimer and Christopher Horner, who were the two riders in control of the race. Leipheimer won the stage, Horner kept the lead and Ten Dam climbed to sixth place in the classification.

The Rabobank rider was the last man to escape from the Radioshack train in which the other favourites set a killer pace on the final very steep 5.5 kilometres of the irregular climb. Before this, all the other highly rated riders such as Andy Schleck, Rory Sutherland, Christian Vandevelde, Tom Danielson and Tejay van Garderen had lost ground. Ten Dam could follow for a long time in an apparently supple rhythm. He didn't have difficulty until the Radioschack pace setter Matthew Busche fell back as just under 3 kilometres from the finish. Levi Leipheimer took over with Christopher Horner right on his tail. Ten Dam remained with them for another two hundred metres, but then followed in his own tempo.

That was already hard enough because the gap with the other top riders would only become bigger, as the gap with the Radioshack pair did not grow any further. Ultimately the difference was only 43 seconds. What was particularly noteworthy was the fact that a favour like Andy Schleck yielded almost a minute to Ten Dam. Ultimately he was the best European by far in the race result and after five Americans also the best non-American in the general classification. And to this it must be added that this tour is very highly regarded by Americans, with riders like Ten Dam and indeed Schleck who still have to peak this season.

The 'demonstration' of the top riders on the final climb came after a long attack of nine riders, which once again involved a Rabobank rider. Grischa Niermann showed how his form is improving in this difficult race. After his excellent time trial on Friday, he is back with the top riders of the race. The German only fell behind when the difference with the top riders following behind was smaller than thirty seconds on Mount Baldy. He remained in the group with Maarten Tjallingii and Paul Martens as well as Ten Dam, but soon paid a toll for the adventure. Even so, it was another great day for the Rabobank team. 

On Friday, Maarten Tjallingii kept his word in the individual time trial in the Tour of California. He had said earlier on this week that that he had specially marked the race against the clock in Solvang in his diary. The Road Captain fulfilled his promise, coming in in a comfortable fifth place. However, in addition to Tjallingii, Laurens ten Dam (photo) and Grischa Niermann also showed they have good legs. Ten Dam saw Tejay van Garderen pass him by in the classification, but he overtook Andy Schleck, so that Laurens could keep his ninth place in the classification. David Zabriskie won the time trial and Christopher Horner kept the leader's jersey.

The Solvang time trial was a challenging race. Lots of hills, with two tough and twisty climbs. It was obviously time well spent for the Rabobank team, as in addition to the three riders named, Lars boom (31) and Paul Martens (33) also achieved reasonable classification places, although Boom in particular naturally has the potential for a better place. Boom had a great interim time, but in the second part didn't achieve much. Team leader Frans Maassen: "We have no explanation for this, neither has Lars. After 14 kilometres he was in a great spot in front, and in the last ten kilometres, actually the easier part, he lost it. No super legs today, but it happens."

Maassen saw top-notch performances from Maarten Tjallingii, Laurens ten Dam and Grischa Niermann. "Tjallingii does even surprise us anymore. He can do so much. Laurens, however, did surprise me a little bit. He limited the loss to specialists in front of him, passed out Andy Schleck and managed to stay ninth in the classification. That is more than we had hoped for. He's done really well in the classification. Grischa seems totally unstoppable in races like these. And Maarten was our sizzler of the day today. Getting so close to the top three in such a strong field is a great achievement."

Paul Martens had another frightening moment on the bike. He saw a large snake crossing the road not far in front of him, but the German simply went around it. It was the third 'animal incident' in this tour. On Wednesday Coen Vermeltfoort ran full speed over a squirrel that came running across the road. In the same stage, a helicoptor spotted a large bear less than a hundred metres from the road. 

It didn't work in the sprint, so it might through an attack, thought Oscar Freire in the fifth stage of the Tour of California. He spent all day in the attack with a group of eleven riders, including his team mate Maarten Tjallingii. 40 kilometres from the finishing line, Oscar and Austrian Denifl were the only ones left over. After Denifl suffered a puncture at 15 kilometres, Oscar had to go on alone. He finally gave out at less than 2.5 kilometres from the finishing line. Peter Sagan won the sprint from the now thinned-out first group, while Paul Martens came 4th and Coen Vermeltfoort 7th. Laurens ten Dam climbed once place in the classification and is now in 9th position.

"Sometimes you think it'll come to nothing, but there are always opportunities." At the beginning of the stage team leader Frans Maasen had little confidence in a good result when Oscar Freire got into front with three others. "Initially we were not too pleased that Oscar was in such a small group and we even considered having him fall back." It wasn't until Maarten Tjallingii and six other riders made the transfer to the leading group that confidence grew in the Rabobank team leader's car. "With a locomotive like Maarten there and in a group of eleven, you have a reasonable chance against the peloton."

Still very exciting
That group of eleven still have to battle for a reasonable margin, however. It was never going to be more than five minutes, which normally is not enough for the final, but it was still very exciting. Freire and young Austrian rider Stefan Denifl got in front in the final and together the duo held their ground reasonably well against the oncoming peloton. Twenty kilometres before the finish they were still defending a two-minute head start. At less than 15 kilometres, Denifl got a flat tyre, and the margin was then 01:45. Two riders together could have defended it, but for one rider alone, it was almost impossible.

Freire hesitated briefly until Breukink told him to keep going and launched himself full-on into the battle, did not give up, but could see the peloton getting closer and closer. He kept up the killer pace even with a difference of 15 counts 3 kilometres from the finish, with moral support from technical director Erik Breukink, who is functioning as a second team leader in this race only. "Oscar was our hero today. He showed some amazing bellicosity," said Frans Maassen. "You know the chance is very small that you will still win such an unequal race on your own, but you simply can't do anything other than continue what you started. He has shown great heart."

Lars Boom's attack
Immediately after the Spaniard was pulled in, Lars Boom made a last attempt, but had pretty much the entire first group of 35 riders at his heels. The final sprint was unavoidable. Paul Martens was in a great position, but did not have the speed to take on the true specialists. Even so, he came in 4th. Coen Vermeltfoort showed character by coming in 7th after the difficult race and final part. On Friday the Tour will continue with an individual time trial. Maarten Tjallingii has marked this off in his route book, and Frans Maassen expects Lars Boom has done the same. "He is in good condition and this route suits him."

On Wednesday, the classification in the Tour of California was turned upside-down. In the first serious mountain stage, veteran rider Chris Horner, almost 40 years old, seized the power with a very neat solo run. He won the stage and is the new leader. The Rabobank team was extremely active in this difficult stage to San José. With attacks from Lars Boom and Paul Martens, and a very smart performance from Laurens ten Dam on the very difficult final climb, the team managers are allowed some satisfaction. Ten Dam held on for a long time in a small group of elite riders and came in eighth, climbing to tenth place in the classification. The Rabobank team lost Michael Matthews (photo). The Australian abandoned the race due to the injuries he suffered in his crash on Tuesday.

Before the race, the riders were nervous about the arrival in San José. This climb was also included in the route two years ago, but at that time the finish line was not at the top. Robert Gesink rode extremely fast and left almost everyone behind in the climb, Only Levi Leipheimer could follow him. Gesink achieved a great stage victory and ultimately won the youth jersey, which is sponsored by Rabobank this year. Many riders were nervous about the short (5.5 kilometres) but very nasty climb, which has peaks of up to 16% and an average gradient percentage of almost 10%. Their nervousness was not unfounded.

Martens and Hesjedal
Paul Martens, along with  Ryder Hejsedal, achieved a head start of 50 seconds on the second group of 33 riders at the foot of the final climb. With the Canadian, the German Rabobank rider broke away from the elite group 40 kilometres from the finish line shortly after the Mount Hamilton climb (outside category). That group also included Laurens ten Dam and Grischa Niermann. The margin of the two breakaway riders melted away going up the mountain like snow in the sun. Martens lost out in the first metres and Hesjedal managed to hold on for a little longer.

After this the race was dominated by Chris Horner's take-over, who initially was setting the pace for his leading rider Leipheimer, but was allowed to push on through when the three-time winner of the Californian tour could no longer follow. At a distance of three kilometres, Horner built up a margin of 1 minute and 15 seconds. Laurens ten Dam was forced to let the two attacking Radioshack riders pass him by, but made up the difference very nicely in the course of the climb. He even seemed to connect briefly with Andy Schleck and former Rabobank rider Rory Sutherland, but just didn't quite make it.

'We raced in full-on attack mode'
Rabobank team leader Frans Maassen could live with the image of Wednesday's stage much more comfortably than with the previous day's. "We now have a better feeling that we did on Tuesday. Then we fought hard for advantages, and risks were taken, with Michael Matthews' fall as a result. This time we did well in the entire stage of the race. Oscar Freire, Paul Martens and Lars Boom were our guys for a long breakaway. It turned out to be Lars. Later Paul Martens pushed forward and Lau has showned that the legs are in good form. We raced in full-on attack mode and I like that. As well as this, it was a great stage with a total beast of a climb. Lau made the right decisions in that regard."

Already before the start of the stage Michael 'Bling' Matthews left the race. The young Australian was still experiencing too much discomfort from the injuries he suffered on Tuesday in the last kilometre of the third stage. Matthews had a severe fall just after reaching the final kilometre of the stage just at the moment that he and leading rider Oscar Freire were choosing position for the final sprint. Fortunately Matthews did not break any bones in the crash, but he did suffer many scrapes and bruises. He slept badly, and after consulting with the medical staff, it was decided that he would quit the race. For the time being Matthews will remain with the Rabobank team in California.

The Rabobank team had some bad luck in the third stage of the Tour of California.  Sprinters Oscar Freire and Michael Matthews (photo) started the last three kilometres in an excellent position after hard work done by Lars Boom and other riders. Just one kilometre from the finish, however, the Australian was knocked off his bike. It looked like Spaniard Oscar Freire was shaken by this, as he did not react to a jump from Greg Henderson, and tried later to join him, but simply lacked the power to catch up with the New Zealander.  Freire gave up 150 metres from the finish line.  Henderson then won the race and took over the leader's jersey from his team mate Ben Swift.

After the finish, Freire admitted that Matthews' fall had been quite a shock. "He hit the ground very hard," said Oscar. He then felt very inhibited in the sprint and as well as this, his last pacemaker was completely gone. One moment of inattention, and Henderson had a gap. After this, the Spaniard lacked the strength to continue to ride close to him. After Monday's sprint, also unsuccessful for the Rabobank team, this new disappointment is also difficult for the Rabobank ream. Team leader Frans Maassen was not unduly shaken by this, but he was annoyed. "Today's preparations went better than yesterday's, but once again we have nothing. That's bitter."

Matthews 'black and blue'
For Maassen, the fall of Michael 'Bling' Matthews was the greatest disappointment. The young Australian's bicycle broke down the middle in the crash. He himself came over the line all battered and bruised. Matthews suffered various scrapes and bruises. The team leader feels there is a fifty-fifty chance that Michael will start in the fourth stage. "He is black and blue We'll just have to see how he gets through the night. Let's hope that this hasn't thrown a spanner into the work for the rest of this race, because Bling has made a good impression here."

There aren't that many sprint opportunities left. Wednesday has the first uphill finish. The finish line is in the mountain pass where Robert Gesink gave climbing lessons two years ago and rode to the finish line further on with Levi Leipheimer. Gesink won the stage and Leipheimer the race. Maassen: "The classification will start on Wednesday. We might be able to play a part in that with Laurens ten Dam. It would be nice if we had somebody well placed in the classification."

It is hoped that Wednesday's stage will be more exciting, as Tuesday was rather dull. A long, well-controlled breakaway and more speed in the final stages, as is usual. It was good when the peloton was in open terrain 25 kilometres from the finish and the wind was blowing favourably for the riders in echelon formation. The peloton broke into three groups. The first group included three Rabobank riders: Maarten Tjallingii, Coen Vermeltfoort and Oscar Freire, the others were in the second group. The battle lasted ten kilometres, but then everything happened at once. There were several other falls, and Michael Matthews' fall came at a crucial moment.

On Sunday, the start of the Tour of California fell through because of snowfall. On Monday, the Rabobank team rode into the mist in the first stage to be run on a route shortened to 120 kilometres. The team did not succeed in launching sprinters Oscar Freire (photo) and Michael Matthews for the final sprint. Freire came in at just ninth place. Briton Ben Swift was the speediest in Sacramento, the capital city of California, and he is also the first leader in the largest American cycle race. 

The organisation felt it was necessary to make adjustments on the second day also. The start of the race was planned for an altitude of two thousand metres, but the area was still covered by a thick layer of snow. The descent into the valley was much too dangerous. Therefore it was decided to move the start completely, so the starting shot for the stage was a kilometre below the snow line. Riders still had to deal with cold and rain, but the conditions were in any case considerably less dangerous.

The stage was a classic run, with four breakaway riders and a peloton that got into its stride after an hour. Grischa Niermann did the necessary front riding on behalf of the Rabobank team, who were after all counting on sprinters Oscar Freire and Michael Matthews. But because of the heavy rain, they didn't get to sprint on the soaking wet streets of Sacramento. The Rabobank train was not functioning well and the riders meant to launch the sprinters were too far back in the peloton. After this, the team could no longer make up the difference with the leading riders.

Team leader Frans Maassen admitted that it 'wasn't a flawless race'. "I just don't know yet what went wrong. As the team leader you almost never see the sprint, but I could see that they were too far to the back. We had discussed the allocation of roles very thoroughly in advance. Coen Mermeltfoort was supposed to be the last in the train for our two sprinters. But they just didn't manage to get there. One excuse is that Paul Martens got a puncture in the final kilometres, which caused some confusion.  In any case, we have something to discuss later. It's a pity it didn't go well. We have two men here who could have gone for it, but there will be more chances on Tuesday."

On Sunday evening Dutch time the Tour of California had a false start. After almost twelve hours of snowfall, the organisers felt it was necessary to cancel the opening stage around Lake Tahoe, located 2000 metres above sea level, to the satisfaction of the riders. They had already signed the presentation list and were ready at the start when a last-minute consultation between organisers and representatives of the teams, including Harold Knebel and Erik Breukink, led to a total cancellation. The stage had already been shorted from 191 kilometres to 80 kilometres.

The cancellation has left Rabobank team leader Frans Maassen with mixed feelings. "It would have been ridiculous if they had ridden, but I would have like to have started out this race under normal circumstances. We've already been here a week. We know the route like the back of our hand and I think the team was ready to get going. But I have to admit that having to ride in these conditions would have been completely unsafe. It certainly is a disaster for the organisers." "For now, it's the healthiest possible solution," agreed Koos Moerenhout, currently associated with the team as manager PR and Communications. "You have this kind of thing occasionally. You can't do a whole lot about it. I am happy that they ultimately chose the safety of the riders."

The drama of the Giro, in which Wouter Weylandt was killed in a crash on Monday, played a significant role on Sunday in California. "A lot of people are talking about that here," said Frans Maassen. "You can't help thinking about it when you see these conditions. The weather has been changing here all day. It snows heavily for five minutes, then the sun comes out. Then it's bitterly cold and with an icy wind. All this makes it much too dangerous for the riders. With such changeable conditions, you don't know what to expect on the descents. But doing the race would mean asking for trouble."

After a week of sunshine, Sunday's weather was bizarre, to say the least. Frans Maassen: "We've been here for a week and the weather has been great, The guys trained really well. You could go outside in your shorts. "It's a lovely route around a fabulously beautiful lake and in a fairytale-like setting. It all looked very promising, but this morning when we woke up, we could see the problem already. The organisers decided to wait for a bit. Then they shortened the race and the second version was 80 kilometres of cycling, but neutralised. I didn't understand that at all. This is ultimately the only right decision, no matter how difficult for those people." More bad weather is expected for Monday, but the 2nd stage will take place at a lower altitude, so that snowfall is highly unlikely.