Rabobank Group

Rabobank Team comes seventh in Team Time Trial

The Rabobank Cycling Team has begun the Giro d'Italia with a second-rank place. The team of leaders Nico Verhoeven and Jan Boven came in at seventh place in the team time trial in Turin. HTC Highroad was the winner. HTC did the 19.3 kilometre-long run in 19 minutes and 59 seconds. The Rabobank team was 26 seconds behind them,  and was just 4 counts short for a third place. Italian Marco Pinotti is the first rider to wear the pink jersey on Sunday. The Rabobank team climbers, who included Steven Kruijswijk (photo), kept the distance between them and the favourites very short.

The HTC team was a class apart in the flat time trial. At ten seconds behind, RadioShack was reasonably close, but after this the difference was considerable. What was very striking was that the gap between number three Omega Pharma and number eight Saxo Bank (with Alberto Contador) consisted of just eight seconds. At the halfway point, the various differences among teams became very close indeed, with five teams within two seconds. At that point the Rabobank team was still in sixth place with a two-second lead on Omega Pharma. That team rode the second half in a blur of greased lightning, but as already stated, the differences in time remained limited.

'Very good time trial'
Losing out on a top placement was a small disappointment for Rabobank team leader Nico Verhoeven, but he was also looking forward to elements over the coming days with confidence. "It's a pity that five teams were so close together and that we are just the last of that five. Nevertheless, I saw our team do a very good time trial. All nine riders did very well, and broadly speaking the team was in good form. Nobody did particularly badly, nor were there any great highlights. It was good that they were well-matched, because if riders are too good, there is also the danger that the group becomes separated."

In the past week, the Giro team still had to adjust to two positions. Tom Leezer was out with a knee injury, and Theo Bos with a respiratory infection. They are replaced by Stef Clement and Graeme Brown. Verhoeven: "Because of this, we suddenly lost our train for the bunch sprints. With Stef and Graeme, we are shifting the attention slightly. With Stef we have a rider who, once the classification reaches a more decisive phase, can compete in the mountains with other good riders, and possibly be in the running for a stage win. With Graeme, we have someone who might be able to participate in the bunch sprints. Without a sprinter, you simply cannot compete in a number of stages. Right now, you can't possibly know which way the dice will roll."

Dutch official language
"Leading riders? Last year we had Bauke Mollema and Pieter Weening, and for Steven Kruijswijk it was a reconnaissance run. This year Steven and Pieter are our men for the classification, for which we are putting Steven under as little pressure as possible. Last year he rode a fantastic Giro, but you can't take anything for granted. We are curious to see if he can manage to reach the same level. Tom-Jelte Slagter is now where Steven was last year. You can't count on anything, and absolutely anything can happen. We are really looking forward to this race. Currently we have eight Dutch riders and one Australian, but Dutch is our official language at this Giro and Graeme has adapted to this brilliantly."

Rabobank Team survives second stage in one piece

The first real stage in the Giro d'Italia was immediately also the longest of this year's race. The riders had to cover a distance of 244 kilometres, with a category four climb at about thirty kilometres from the finish line as the only obstacle. A huge bunch sprint seemed a given from the start and this ensured that the race took place as expected. A long flight, this time by Sebastian Lang, and the sprinter teams that check everything. Rabobank Sprinter Graeme Brown did not get the chance to distinguish himself in the final sprint. Alessandro Petacchi defeated Mark Cavendish, and at fifteenth place Dennis van Winden (photo) was the leading Rabobank rider. Cavendish is the new leader.

Lang broke away after one kilometre and kept his position until 26 kilometres from the end. The German had a maximum lead of 19 minutes during the race but despite that never a real chance of success. Catching up with Lang was the start of the final part, because that was the signal for eight riders to make a break for it. This eight quickly got about twenty seconds, but could not expand on their headstart because the sprinter teams kept the race under control. Their try was also over at eight kilometres, after which a final bunch sprint singled out the stage winner. There was no important role for the Rabobank team in this, as Dennis van Winden was the best Rabobank rider at fifteenth place.

Going with the flow
"It was the longest and first real stage, then you know that it will be a very closely monitored race," said team leader Nico Verhoeven. "Therefore it is very sensible to start out by going with the flow. Today we tried to keep the team together and not get left behind in a split in the peloton. We managed this, and got through the day in one piece. The worst is over. In that sense, this has been a great stage. It was long, but as regards the route, it's also one of the easiest stages this Giro. We are feeling very positive about it and that is important at the begin of such a major race."

Naturally the Rabobank team made an attempt to bring Graeme Brown into position for the bunch sprint, but he didn't quite make it. "Today he was just a little bit short and missed it," explained Nico Verhoeven. "A pity, but you must also remember that he wasn't called up until just before the start of this Giro. The coming two days will not be focused on him, but on the sprinters with climbing ability. The final parts of these stages have some climbs that are just a bit too heavy. But knowing Brown, he will make himself useful to the team and his stages will also recur later on in this Giro. We'll be going for 21 days and therefore you have to consider it day by day as a team."

Death of Wouter Weylandt shocks Rabobank team

Angel Vicioso won the third stage of the Giro d'Italia, Rabobank rider Bram Tankink came in sixth and David Millar is the new leader in the general classification, but the death of Wouter Weylandt (photo) after a fall on the Passo del Bocco descent has thrown a shadow over this stage and the rest of the Giro. The images were horrifying and the organisation called off the podium ceremony, in anticipation of more information regarding the condition of the Belgian Team Leopard rider. Weylandt lost consciousness, was resuscitated and was then transported to hospital by helicopter. Sadly, it was too late. Wouter Weylandt died at 26 years of age.

Four riders broke away after thirty kilometres and would stay ahead until ten kilometres away from the finish. This was ultimately the signal for four riders to separate in the front, after which Millar rode to catch up with the leading group. Bram Tankink, along with Jerôme Pineau, attempted to bridge the gap in the last few kilometres, but were unsuccessful and Tankink came in at sixth place. Normally this would be a great placing for the Rabobank rider, but the atmosphere on Monday is understandably downbeat after the untimely death of Weylandt, who last year won the third stage to Middleburg and was added to the Team Leopard Giro group very late in the game.

Memories of Horrillo's fall
"This has cast a terrible shadow over today. We know him, we have competed with him in the peloton for years. Of course he was a competitor, but mainly a good fellow rider in the race. There are no words for something like this," said the visibly upset Rabobank team leader Nico Verhoeven. The Passo de Bocco descent had already been considered dangerous and for Verhoeven it was therefore also a shock to see someone lying on the road. "We could see even then that something wasn't right, but then you always hope that it will turn out okay. And cancelling the ceremony does not always mean the worst has happened, but unfortunately this was the case today."

Two years ago in the Giro the Rabobank team itself was caught up in the serious fall of Pedro Horrillo, but fortunately without any fatalities. "Naturally the team remembered this and Horrillo was mentioned," said Nico Verhoeven. "But of course this is a completely different situation. How the riders and the team deal with this, we have yet to see. For many of the young guys, this is the first time they have experienced this kind of thing directly and as long as you yourself don't go through it, you don't know how you will react."

What consequences this tragedy will have for the remainder of the Giro is still unknown. The race will certainly continue, but a suitable homage is also deemed appropriate. "The organisation will now decide with the teams what will take place on Tuesday and the following days, how the peloton will deal with the death of Wouter Weylandt," says Nico Verhoeven. "But there is a black cloud above this stage and this Giro, this is for sure. This is the worst possible news you can get in cycling."

Fourth stage in homage to Wouter Weylandt

The fourth stage of the Giro d'Italia began with a minute of silence (photo with riders of Team Leopard-Trek) in memory of Wouter Weylandt, who was killed yesterday. The Giro organisers had decided that today's stage would go ahead, but left it to the riders and teams to decide how it would take place. Ultimately the fourth stage was ridden as a neutral event, in which each team rode in front for ten kilometres and Weylandt's team mates from Team Leopard finished the last kilometre together, with Weylandt's friend Tyler Farrar. There was no winner and this stage has no effect at all on the classifications.

The riders followed the entire route in closed formation. "We also proposed shortening the race and stopping halfway, for example, but according to the organisers, this would not be possible," said team leader Nico Verhoeven. "Furthermore, the organisers had indicated they would respect the teams' wishes and that was clear very quickly that it would be in this manner." Naturally today was a difficult day for the riders, not least in a physical sense. "Don't forget that they had to keep up a good pace, without actually racing. That is fairly difficult."

'This will need time'
The Rabobank team wore black armbands. "Several teams did this, but it wasn't a combined initiative", said Nice Verhoeven. "We opted to do this ourselves as a team." The Team Leopard riders will decide individually tonight if they will continue with this Giro. In principle the Rabobank riders can also choose for themselves. "If someone doesn't want to race, he won't race' It's as simple as that," said Verhoeven. "But I haven't received any indication that this is the case with any of our riders. The mood is sombre, but we will go on."

The mental burden will, however, have an effect.  "This will need time", predicted Nice Verhoeven. "This is not the best time to be a racing cyclist. In principle tomorrow everything will have to go back to normal, and the race will be back on. It may be that the first breakaways will be slow to appear, but as soon as there is just one, the race is on." This doesn't mean, however, that they will all have dealt with it tomorrow. "You are confronted with cold, hard reality," said Verhoeven.  "Normally you are just focusing on the race, now it has been made very clear that there also other issues besides the race.  Important issues. This has made everyone think."

Pieter Weening today's Giro star

The Rabobank Professional Cycling Team made a very strong impression in the fifth stage of the Giro d'Italia, and was well rewarded with a stage win and the pink jersey for Pieter Weening (photo). A heavy fall for Tom Jelte Slagter, who ultimately ended up with concussion and broken eye socket, was nevertheless also a downer for the Rabobank team. This much-discussed stage over narrow unpaved roads was marked by numerous attacks by the Rabobank team. After Bram Tankink ran into bad luck, Pieter Weening became the leader in the race. In the final ten kilometres he left his competitors behind and came in alone but strong to the first Dutch stage victory in twelve years. In addition, Steven Kruijswijk is in eighth place in the classification and is the new wearer of the youth jersey.

Swiss national Martin Kohler was the breakaway rider of the day and he began with a good head start on the 'Strade Bianche', the unpaved dirt roads in this stage. Behind him the race burst into action, and the Rabobank team were well represented at the front. Weening was in the lead briefly, but was pushed back very quickly. Bram Tanking was next and together with Dario Cataldo got slightly ahead. As soon as they lost out due to problems with their bikes, John Gadret and Weening went for it once more. They caught up with Kohler and less than ten kilometres from the end Weening left the others behind. During the final climb he managed to keep enough distance for the stage win and the pink jersey.  This is the first Dutch stage win and pink jersey since Jeroen Blijlevens in 1999.

'We were secretly hoping for the pink jersey'
"Naturally this is a super result. It's the kind of thing you can only dream about," said team leader Nico Verhoeven after the finish. "Nevertheless, Tom Jelte's fall did make it a little bit harder to enjoy it. Weylandt's death is without doubt the worst possible nightmare, and then something like this happens two days later. But fortunately it quickly appeared that today's fall was not nearly so bad. He was conscious and the injuries are serious but not life-threatening. Nor was the route without risk, certainly when they were cycling on the edge. What with all that was going on around the riders, such as motorbikes and team cars, this can lead to bike problems and accidents, although Ton Jelte's fall was an annoying concurrence of circumstances."

Slagter was riding in front when he fell. And he wasn't the only Rabobank rider there,  the strong collective stood out. "Before the race we had also set our hearts on this stage," said Nico Verhoeven. "We were secretly hoping for the pink jersey, but you only really dare to dream about that. It is great that we did it and even more so when you also manage to get the white youth jersey, as we did through Steven Kruijswijk. Today we were very good as a team. Bram Tanking was very strong today, imagine if he had kept going ... It is a pity his chain fell off because he had to swerve for a motorbike. He had a fantastic companion in Cataldo, but the chain falling off was too much."

'Tour still the high point'
Pieter Weening is enjoying today's victory to the full. A double bullseye, stage win and the pink jersey. Even so, he still considers his stage win in the 2005 Tour de France as the high point in his career. "This is one of the high points. The win in the eighth stage of the 2005 Tour is and remains the high point for me. This is fantastic, even better than fantastic. But in my experience a Tour stage win is just a little bit better even though the pink jersey is that little bit extra. I will most definitely appreciate today's win. You hope for a good result in such a great race. You dream of a stage victory, but so do almost 200 other riders."

In the final part of the stage the Rabobank rider took a chance after he had fought his way to the front during a descent. "I wanted to be in front when the unpaved final part started. That didn't go well. Then I was the first to go straight down the hill.  After that I felt so good that I just kept on going.  It turned out to be an advantage that I still remembered the route from last year and that I have some experiences as a cyclo-cross racer. This was a golden day, and for me personally, Participating in this Giro cannot go wrong for me now. Now I will ride with less pressure and that could lead to even greater things." 

Pieter Weening once again in pink jersey after sixth stage

Another day in the pink. On Thursday, the Rabobank team successfully defended Pieter Weening's (photo) Wednesday win and captured pink jersey. The team took the lead early on in the race when five riders smartly made a dash for it and controlled the breakaway. Less than 3 kilometres from the finish the last attacker was overtaken, after which the final sprint started in earnest. The stage was won by Spaniard Francisco Ventoso. Weening and Steven Kruijswijk finished at the front of the peloton and held onto the leader's jersey and the youth jersey, respectively.

Leading rider Pieter Weening was once again lyrical after the stage, but also put the race into perspective. "I didn't come here to win the Giro. If it goes very well, there may be a top ten classification in it. We're still taking it day by day. This also costs the team a lot of energy. But today they rode exceptionally well." "Another day in the pink, thanks to the team", agreed team leader Nico Verhoeven. "We took the lead early on when those five riders went for it. We rode at the front of the peloton from the 20-kilometre marker until the 170th. That took a lot of energy, but when you have the pink jersey, you just have that position."

At more than five minutes, Yaroslav Popovitsj was qualified highest in the five, so the Rabobank guys were not immediately affected by major stress. Verhoeven: "We have been able to control it well and in an organised way, but it was without a doubt a very difficult stage. Not just for us, but for everyone. Uphill and downhill all day, and the considerable inconvenience of a false wind. But we didn't hold back. With Rick Flens and Jos van Emden, we also have two men who are cut out for this work. The allocation of labour was good. Flens and Van Emden in control in front. Stef Clement and Dennis van Winder carrying the water and Bram Tankink as the road captain of our leading riders.  The organisation was very smooth and worked out very well."

Friday uphill arrival
Friday is the first uphill arrival. How will it go after that? Verhoeven thinks his team has every chance of holding onto the jersey for another day. "Why? Because I think that Pieter Weening has a good chance of arriving with the first riders on top. It's not a mountain pass like they are the last ten days of this Giro. This is not a steep Dolomite giant, but a nice little run of on average 5%. Pieter can handle that. You need the power to get up there.  Pieter can work it well on the mountain pass and he is in very good condition. I think that we have a serious crack at this. But we won't give up the pink jersey without a fight."

And if it isn't a success? "We have not yet lost anything. This Giro has exceeded all our expectations. We were hoping that we could repeat the great races of last year. But that objective has now been surpassed. Now we are riding free as the wind. And we did not start under pressure. You can't put pressure on this young team. Jan (Boven, the 2nd team leader) and I have been watching out for this. And with success. Right now, everything is working out better than we had hoped. On Wednesday we actually had four guys in the first group, because Tom Slagter was also there. They were with the strongest on the course. I'm also very proud of that."

Weening holds on to the pink jersey in the first mountain stage

Nico Verhoeven's prediction on Thursday that Pieter Weening (photo) would have a good chance of keeping the pink jersey on Friday has come true. The classification leader managed to hold his ground at the first uphill finish with support from Steven Kruijswijk. The young Belgian Bart de Clercq won the stage. After an attack ten kilometres from the finish, he managed to stay just ahead of an elite group of 26 riders that included Weening and Kruiswijk, who successfully held onto his white youth jersey.

It had been expected beforehand that the decision regarding the stage victory would take place on the Montevergine di Mercogliano, a second-category climb. Five riders got the space, and were later supplemented with Johnny Hoogerland who pushed forward out of the peloton.  However, at the start of the final climb, the peloton was very close behind. The favourites did not challenge each other much, despite the high tempo. Because of this, De Clercq could hazard an attempt and he had just enough left over. Behind him the peloton was depleted, but Pieter Weening and Steven Kruijswijk were well able to hold their own and successfully defend their jerseys.

'Great confidence in Pieter and Steven'
Indeed it was no great surprise that Pieter Weening and Steven Kruijswijk are also to take the lead on Saturday in the general and youth classification respectively, but it continues to remain very exciting, according to Nice Verhoeven. "Pieter was just two seconds in front of number two and that is very close. The objective today was to defend the jerseys. And we have great confidence in Pieter and Steven, but you can't let up when you're at the finish. If you do, you could lose those seconds easily. You can be very good, but you also need to have a little luck on your side."

When you have the jersey in your team, there's the extra pressure of leading the peloton. "Today we actually had support from other teams," said Nico Verhoeven. "Just as we were organising ourselves, Acqua & Sapone took control. It was apparent they has so much confidence in their leading rider that they didn't want to wait. We only needed to establish ourselves slightly behind them, in order to protect our own places.  As far as the work when, it was a relatively good day for us, and we didn't have to waste too much energy."

Given Saturday's flat route, there is the considerable chance that sprinter teams will also step in. "That's true", admits Verhoeven, "but you can never be sure." There are still only a few teams who have won anything, so you don't know the plans of the other teams. This is why we will start as we have done on previous days: first check and then see how the race develops." Even so, there is a very good chance that the pink jersey will remain on Pieter Weening's shoulders for another day. "Sunday is a completely different story," predicts Verhoeven. "That's the first real mountain stage of the programme, and it will be more difficult. But let's first see what tomorrow brings!"

Fourth pink jersey for Pieter Weening

Pieter Weening's (photo) leading position in Saturday's 8th stage of the Giro d'Italia was in no danger, despite a last-ditch push from Alberto Contador. Contador was second after stage winner Oscar Gatto and came in closer through a time bonus, but he could not get near Weening. The Rabobank Rider was 29th and could pull on his fourth pink jersey. Steven Kruijswijk was also part of that group and once again defended the youth jersey.

Team leader Nico Verhoeven did not find today difficult at all for his team. The Quick Step and HTC Highroad teams in particular provided a helping hand. "Obviously we are no longer permitted to ride in front since Jos van Emden and Rick Flens caused everyone so much pain earlier this week", he laughs. Two early breakaway riders, Mirko Selvaggi (Vacansoleil) and Leonardo Giordani, achieved a maximum head start of eleven minutes, but as they were trailing more than 28 minutes behind, they were no danger to leader Pieter Weening.

"For us as a team, today was a relatively easy day. The entire period with the pink jersey has actually gone very well up to now. It has cost us a lot of energy, but I don't have the impression that the guys have had to force themselves. Everyone is still in very good condition." Naturally the team leader is ecstatic about the progress from Wednesday through Saturday. "Certainly in the beginning of such a race, when everyone is still fresh, you can count on one day of pink at the outside. The fact that we have had four days is a fantastic compliment for the team. Each day of pink is actually just as valuable as winning a stage."

Dangerous finale
After the finish of the 8th stage, leading rider Pieter Weening looked back on a dangerous finale. "Many dicey turns and roads narrowing. You really had to watch out, particularly as the classification riders wanted to be in front and many sprinters also still felt they were in with a chance." Weening himself started in fourth position in the final tough three kilometres, which also included a steep kilometre-long climb. While the wearer of the pink jersey did lose a little ground when the sprint started, he managed to hold onto his leader's jersey with panache.

Sunday will be a very different kind of race, with two climbs of Mount Etna on Sicily. The volcano was active earlier this week, but according to the Giro organisation  there are no obstacles for the Etna climbs for the time being. Pieter Weening is also looking forward to it. "I don't think the volcano will erupt, but I might. It's become a question of holding on for as long as possible, but I am already delighted to have worn this jersey for so long."

'Now to focus on a good classification'
Nico Verhoeven indicated that on Sunday, the team will focus on something other than the pink jersey. "The control tomorrow will be with other teams. We don't have the team to set the pace going uphill tomorrow. From now on, Pieter and Steven's classification is what's important to us. Look, there's no certainty that we will lose the pink jersey, but the risk of this is naturally considerable. Even so, I don't expect that Weening and Kruijswijk will lose a lot. They are both in very good condition. It will be our objective to give them the best start we possibly can for that final climb."

Weening loses pink jersey on slopes of Mount Etna

On Saturday, Pieter Weening (photo) hinted that he might 'explode' on Mount Etna. He was right. The classification leader was forced to let the other favourites pass him by ten kilometres before the summit during the ninth stage of the Giro d'Italia. He came in at more than six minutes behind stage winner Alberto Contador, who also took over the pink jersey. Steven Kruijswijk was 29th at 2:21 from Contador. The young Rabobank rider lost the white jersey. He is now third in that classification and sixteenth in the general classification. Weening fell to 31st place. Graeme Brown unfortunately came in too late.

A group of seven riders broke away with the blessing of the peloton and had a good two minutes extra during the last climb of the volcano. The peloton kept up a steady pace, so that the head start gradually shrank. The pace was also too high for the wearer of the pink jersey Pieter Weening. His legs cramped up and he had to let the group of favourites go. A little later Contador found the time to make a dash for it and this made the group of favourites even smaller. Steven kruijswijk also lost ground, but he wasn't pushed out of the race completely, managing to finish in 29th place. While Kruijswijk did lose the white youth jersey, he held onto a good placement in the general classification.

Over in a matter of moments
For Pieter Weening, he lost strength in a matter of moments and had to let the group of favourites pass him by. "I thought I had eaten enough, but suddenly I was empty. But I did get through it later," said Weening. Nevertheless, he had seen this coming. "Well, yes, this was to be expected. I've been through the wringer over the past three days. At a certain point you're just exhausted." On Monday's rest day he will be able to recharge his batteries somewhat. "Tomorrow's a day off, we're not going to do too much and then we will try to make something of the last five, six days, the final week. Then I'll have another shot at a stage."

For team leader Nico Verhoeven, the loss of this ninth stage comes as no surprise either. "The power relationships were simply respected today," said Verhoeven. "Pieter kept up the pace for as long as he could, but at a certain point had to stop and lost contact with the guys in front. The past few days have been hectic, but it's also been a good run. Pieter has now seen what it's like to be a leading rider in such a big race and what this entails. For him now, the intention is to focus on the coming two weeks."

The dawn of a new era
According to Nico Verhoeven, Steven Kruijswijk rode a nice, neat stage. "Right now this is his place. He admitted himself it wasn't his best day. However, it wasn't bad, just not as good as earlier on in the week. But when you look at the names up around his, he's done really well." For Kruijswijk, the rest day means a day of recharging the batteries for the coming week. "Last year Steven was also on his best at the end," reminisced Verhoeven "He needs to get through the coming four or five days well, and then we can hope that he can rise again to the challenge in the last week and a half. For the time being he's doing very well and is well-placed in the classification."

The team has lost both leaders' jerseys, but Nico Verhoven does not feel this is a reason to be dissatisfied. "We have been on the go for a week and have the pink jersey for four days and won a stage.  Before the race you wouldn't have dared dream of this, so those were great days," said Verhoeven. "Now a new period is starting for the team. I hope that we can compete in the same spirit as we did last year. The past three days have been tough going for the team, also through the transfers after the race. But tomorrow is the day off, and after this we can get up and ride again."

Short story for the Rabobank team

The tenth stage in the Giro d'Italia was one of the few chances for sprinters this year and thus the race was properly checked. Three riders had a short and easy head start, but at ten kilometres they were overtaken. For the Rabobank team, it was therefore a relatively quiet day, now that Graeme Brown is gone home. In the sprint Mark Cavendish clawed back ground after his defeat in Parma and earned a convincing win. At sixteenth place, Dennis van Winder (photo) was the best Rabobank rider. This stage made no difference to the top of the classification. Alberto Contador is leading and Steven Kruijswijk is the first Rabobank rider, at sixteenth place.

After Graeme Brown came in outside of time on Sunday, the Rabobank ProTeam is now riding without a sprinter in its ranks. "For us, therefore, the only possibility of getting something is to be lucky in a breakaway," says team leader Nico Verhoeven. "Naturally we tried this today, but three men got away very quickly. The race was then very quickly under the control of HTC, which of course has Cavendish as the big favourite in the team for the sprint stages. But also the after-effects of the tough first week and the transfers on the rest day ensured that the peloton got into its stride very quickly.

Day of surviving
For the Rabobank team, it was a day of surviving and not incurring any damage. "Now that Graeme is gone we no longer have a sprinter on the team and these are stages that you just have to ride because they are in the race." says Nico Verhoeven. "In stages like this, you need to make sure your best-placed riders in the classification get through the day in one piece and don't lose ground unnecessarily. This was neatly done and thus this is a stage with a short story for us."

The eleventh stage is considerably more challenging. In the mountain classification there are only four climbs of the fourth category, but this stage has no flat sections at all. Nico Verhoeven therefore expects that it is not likely to be controlled by sprinters. "We call it a sort of Tirreno stage. Up and down all day long. The route will probably be controlled by Contador's team only, although you never know if any other team will still take a chance and keep the group together. Even so, a breakaway has greater chance in this race, so we shall certainly try to go with them."

Breakaway with Kruijswijk doesn't last

In the eleventh stage of the Giro d'Italia the riders struggled valiantly but for a long time nobody managed to break away. It wasn't until a particularly nasty part of the stage that eleven riders saw a gap, including Rabobank rider Steven Kruijswijk (photo). Christopher Le Mevel, number three in the classification, was also part of this leading group, which meant the breakaway group never really had much space. Kruijswijk was caught up with three kilometres from the end. John Gadret made the decisive leap in the final kilometre and won the stage. Bram Tankink was 35th and the best of the Rabobank team. Kruijswijk ultimately lost another 01:25 and was 57th. In the classification, Alberto Contador is in the lead and Kruijswijk is in 20th place.

In the fast race over uneven terrain, the Rabobank Pro Team was very active in the various breakaways, according to team leader Nico Verhoeven. "Bram Tankink, Stef Clement and Pieter Weening all tried several times and Steven Kruijswijk had already broken away once before launching a successful attack. But none of the breakaway riders had much room to work with. It wasn't until the last bit of the race that eleven riders broke away. They had even less space from Contador. Le Mevel had number three in the classification, and Steven was also well in front. In such a situation, falling back was simply not an option for anyone, because you just want to gain more time. You can only fall back in an early breakaway with non-threatening riders."

Steven Kruijswijk himself enjoyed his attempt, despite it being hard work of course. "Today was a fantastic stage. I was riding with a super group. Good, strong men, all ready and willing to work hard. But sadly we never got the chance to get going." The group caught up with Kruijswijk at the start of the final climb and over the next three kilometres he eventually lost more than a minute to the favourites. Nevertheless, he himself isn't too bothered about this. "The loss of time is not so important, I think. My goal in this Giro is to win a stage and I will also continue to try for this after today."

'Nothing ventured, nothing gained'
Nico Verhoeven also felt that Steven Kruijswijk's move was a good one. "The attempt is good. It can be simply successful and you could still manage to win time. In that case it would be brilliant. Steven hasn't won anything now, but it's still a good move. It's still sport Nothing ventured, nothing gained. This is a typical race in which if you can get a chance, you don't want to let it pass you by. And when such a strong group makes a break for it, it's a good thing to break with them. Steven has shown us he has good legs. And he's still 20th in the classification."

Otherwise, the Rabobank team has got through the day unscathed, in Nico Verhoeven's opinion. "Everyone finished on time. Today's route was difficult in such a way that if you were not a climber, you were hoping to finish on time. It was a day of hard racing, 144 kilometres long. And then we can hope for a good day, which fortunately we have had already." On Thursday the sprinters will have their last opportunity, so in all probability the race will be controlled by sprinter teams. "Tomorrow is another day, so we will also try to break away with a strong group," said Verhoeven.

Stef Clement in the breakaway of the day

For the second day in a row, the Rabobank Pro Team had a rider in the day's big breakaway. Stef Clement (photo) rode in front with three other riders for a long time in the twelfth stage of the Giro. Nevertheless, because it was the last chance for the sprinters, the leading group was kept under tight control. The peloton caught up with them fifteen kilometres from the finish line, and after that it turned into a sprint. A fall in the last three kilometres caused another slight gap, but without any results. Mark Cavendish got his second stage victory of this Giro, with Alberto Contador in the lead. Dennis van Winden ended in twelfth place, Steven Kruijswijk is now twentieth in the classification.

Despite the fact that before this it had already been clear that a sprint could not be avoided, team leader Nico Verhoeven had already stated the previous day that he would like to have a rider participate in an attack. And this is how it turned out. Stef Clement rode with Golas, Ricci Bitti and Ayala for a long time. But when their head start amounted to five minutes, HTC quickly brought that back to two, three minutes and controlled the race after that. In the final thirty kilometres the head start gradually disappeared and at fifteen kilometres from the finish, it was over for Clement and the others in the group.

"The plan was also to start with the team in front and go with a breakaway," explained Nico Verhoeven once again. "It was to be expected that other teams would let HTC pick up the pace, so if you can get away with a slightly larger group, then you have a chance. And it was good that somebody went with them, this meant our mission was successful. But it was a pity that it stayed at just four riders, as it meant that the head start could easily be controlled. In any case we have definitely contributed to the race as a team. And that's good, because if you don't go for it, you can be sure you won't win.

'We don't do that anymore'
After the finish, Stef Clement was clear on how his attempt was appreciated. "We don't do that anymore", he laughed. He continued in a serious tone: "It certainly was a good feeling to ride out in front of the group, even though the breakaway was doomed to failure." For Nice Verhoeven, Clement's push ahead is a sign that he is making progress. "Stef came to this Giro with a lot of questions, but it is going better for him every day. And it certainly isn't everyone who can keep in front all day in such a major race. It is confirmation that Stef is good. If he gets through the coming days reasonably well and recovers well, he has taken another big step."

The last ten days or so of the Giro will be incredibly tough. "Normally each stage has regular variation of mountains, transitional runs and flat stages. But for this Giro, this was the last flat race and after this it's uphill all the way. This makes it a strange Giro, a one-sided Giro actually. It's now just for the climbers, to the final time trial. In a way it's cheating the other riders," argued Nico Verhoeven. "But yes, you have to go along with it and luckily we have a team of riders who are well able for it. And our non-climbers are all-round riders, and capable of supporting our climbers again. I think we have a great mix here."

Another great day from the Rabobank team

The thirteenth stage in the Giro d'Italia was the first in a series of tough mountain stages. Even so, the Rabobank team still managed to view the race from the front. Pieter Weening (photo) was one of the strongest of the leading group of sixteen riders, but they lost their lead early in the final climb. Then it was Steven Kruijswijk's turn on the Grossglockner, the high alpine road. While he could not match Alberto Contador's acceleration, ultimately the difference with the other favourites was barely a few seconds.  Jose Rujano was the only rider who could keep up with Contador and win the race. Kruijswijk was thirteenth and climbed to eighteenth place in the classification.

Pieter Weening attentively participated when a group of sixteen riders broke away. With such a group, the chance of building up a decent lead was great, but Euskatel apparently had their eye on a victory, because they very quickly began to control the head start. The leading group started out with a small head start on the Grossglockner, but it was soon very clear that they would not keep it. Weening tried to hold out for a little longer, but was the second last to be caught. In the melée that followed, Steven Kruijswijk managed to hold his own. While he could not have matched Contador's attack, thirteenth at a small distance behind the race favourites is an admirable performance.

With the 15 best climbers of this Giro
Team leader Nico Verhoeven could not be anything but satisfied once again with his team.  "We are trying to match this Giro to the one we rode last year. With a stage win and the pink jersey for four days in a row, we have already been more successful, but in recent days we have confirmed the form of the first part. It was a pity that Pieter's group didn't get much space, because he was one of the candidate race winners in that leading group. With so many riders, you can gather just enough of them together for a satisfactory head start, but Euskatel did not want to let the head start become too large. Even so, for the third day in a row, we are in the right breakaway group."

But it wasn't just in the breakaway that Rabobank team showed their worth. Steven Kruijswijk confirmed it by coming in thirteenth in the final climb. "Today Steven did what he had to do," said Nico Verhoeven. "He had to stay with the best climbers and see where he ended up. And that went well. He has now also risen two places in the classification. In terms of percentage that might not be such a massive increase, but the men he's passing out now will not gain time back quickly over the coming days. Steven's classification is coming and he is showing to be one of the best fifteen climbers in this Giro. This gives great morale."

Saturday's stage will finish on Monte Zoncolan. But the descent from Monte Crostis is causing most riders and team leaders some worry, as it is steep, unpaved and goes past large ravines. The organisation has placed nets and cushions, but Nico Verhoeven is wondering if these are enough. "The mountain isn't the biggest problem, but the descent is. What you're hearing and seeing total madness, not just for the riders, but also for the mechanics. They are sitting on the back of a motorbike with two wheels with someone they don't know controlling it. And what if it rains? If it were up to the teams, we wouldn't ride it. The association are still discussing it, so we shall see if we will ride it."

Rabobank team also showed their mettle on Zoncolan

The fourteenth stage of the Giro d'Italia was shortened twice. On Friday evening the Monte Crostis was taken out of the race, and during the race itself, the race did not include replacement climb Monte Tualis, due to a roadblock by demonstrators. Because of this, Rabobank rider Bram Tankink (photo) started on the Monte Zoncolan a bit earlier. He left two fellow breakaway riders behind on this final climb, but his head start was not enough for a win. Igor Anton overtook him as the first rider of the favourites and won the race. Steven Kruijswijk rode a strong climb and finished in twelfth place. Alberto Contador remained in the lead in the classification and Kruijswijk climbed to fourteenth place. He is now second in the youth classification.

This was the fourth day in a row that a Rabobank team rider has led the race. This time it was Bram Tankink, who together with two other breakaway riders, gained a total of ten minutes. As the stage was shortened, they started the Monte Zoncolan unexpectedly early. There Tankink finally left his fellow breakaway riders behind, but didn't seem to affect the classification riders. At five kilometres, Tankink's great attempt was over. Steven Kruijswijk once again confirmed his status as one of the best climbers of this Giro. On the climb itself it was every man for himself, and Kruijswijk finished twelfth. This meant that he climbed to fourteenth place in the general classification and second place in the youth classification.

Team leader Jan Boven rode behind Bram Tankink all day, and thus witnessed the Rabobank rider's strong performance. "Before today, Bram was also our best rider to launch an attack. Bram and Pieter Weening are our boys to handle this on this route, but Pieter already did this yesterday. Then it's more difficult to launch an attack a second day in a row.. So then it's also great when Bram is successful, certainly because the first forty kilometres were so very hectic. Everyone wanted to break away. The only pity was that only three of them managed to do it. With more riders, you just have a much better chance of success."

All glory before the jury
It was decided during the race to leave out Monte Tualis, because there were protests taking place there against the race not including Monte Crostis. "Then the important thing is to let your riders know quickly," said Jan Boven. "Because of the change, the three in front would start on the Zoncolan much sooner, so we had to get some water bottles to Bram right away. Nevertheless, for the breakaway riders it was good, because you would probably begin the climb up the hill with slightly more of a head start." Jan Boven credited the jury with all the glory.  "We are fully behind the decision not to ride the Monte Crostis, but it took some courage on the part of the jury to inform the organisers. That's not the easiest thing for a jury to do."

Naturally Jan Boven was delighted with Steven Kruijswijk's performance. "We really went for it with Steven. Before the race we had certain aims, including a stage win and a good classification for Steven. We already have the former, but Steven has also done very well up to now. So we are also looking at tomorrow's race with confidence. It's going to be a long and difficult day, pretty much uphill from the start. But the way the team is riding is making everyone confident. Everyone is riding very strongly according to their own ability, so we have to keep this going tomorrow.  Then we'll have a great starting point after the rest day, when we continue with the climbing time trial," decided Boven.

Steven Kruijswijk tenth in Queen's race

If it hadn't been such a good performance, it would have seemed monotonous. The fifteenth stage of the Giro d'Italia also featured Rabobank Rider Pieter Weening in the leading group and Steven Kruijswijk kept up with the best riders of this tour. This time, the leading group delivered Mikel Nieve as the winner. Only he and Stefano Garzelli were able to stay out in front, but Weening also turned out to be of inestimable value for Kruijswijk when the other riders caught up with him. Kruijswijk rode to a strong tenth place in the final climb. With his third place, Alberto Contador reinforced his leading position in the classification, where Kruijswijk climbed to thirteenth place.

Even though Pieter Weening was ultimately unable to battle with his earlier breakaway riders for the stage win, his presence in the leading group was definitely significant. Just as Steven Kruijswijk was forced to drop back on the penultimate climb, a select group caught up with Weening. In the descent that followed they could pick up the pace again together, after which Weening kept the tempo high to prevent Kruijswijk's rivals who had dropped back from regaining ground.  Because of this the race resembled a battlefield, which meant that some well-placed riders were already forced to drop back. Kruijswijk held his own in all of that.

Guts as well as resilience
Steven Kruijswijk showed guts as well as resilience in this Queen's race. He was watching out for breakaways by Contador and Nibali, but he also came back a few times after being shaken off. And that in such a challenging stage too. "Many climbs, and when everyone is on the bike for 7.5 hours, we are all pretty much exhausted at the end of it. I have almost never been so wrecked." Therefore it was also good that Pieter Weening could help out. "Pieter was great in the final part. He did so much for me and started me out well at the foot of the last climb." The rest day also works out well. "I thought that I was back on form, but I am ready for a rest day."

Naturally team leader Nico Verhoeven can't be anything other than satisfied once more. "It's always good to have a man in the leading group and Pieter was valuable for Steven. He was able to bring him back at a crucial moment and keep the tempo in the group to keep things calm and not let anyone get in from behind." Verhoeven on Kruijswijk: "If you come in tenth in such a stage, you're simply very good. And he is still just 24, so there is still a good margin. Last year he was able to find himself in the shadow of Bauke Mollema and Weening in the big race, but this year he has had to confirm it. That's not at all easy, but he's doing a very good job of it."

This Queen's race was the end of three very tough mountain races. After Monday's rest day comes another tough week, with two time trials and the necessary climbing. "We did well in those three races. But after three days like those, a day off is welcome, even if Steven hasn't had any weak moments," said Nico Verhoeven. "We will reconnoitre Tuesday's time trial route and otherwise recharge the battery for the last six days of this Griro. Mentally all is well in any case. The spirit in the team is good. Riders can surpass themselves like this and that raises the spirit again." 

Kruijswijk and Clement confirm good form

The Rabobank team had a good start on Tuesday to the last week of the Giro in the climbing time trial. Steven Kruijswijk (photo) came fourteenth and held onto thirteenth place in the general classification. Stef Clement surprised with a very fast first section with the second interim time overall and ultimately eighteenth place. Alberto Contador was once again unapproachable after a 'moderate' start, thirteenth interim time 13 seconds from Clement, strengthening his leading position in the classification. Number two Michele Scarponi follows at almost five minutes.

As an early starter Stef Clement set down a target time, which almost the entire peloton found very difficult indeed. After a little more than 5 kilometres, at the foot of the real climb in the 12.7 kilometre-long stage, he had the fastest interim time, until Vincenzo Nibali passed him. Nibali was ultimately that bit faster, but none of the other cannons present were faster than Clement. "While it was the interim time, throughout the afternoon all we could hear was the name Stefan Clement. And that is quite a boost, both for the team and Stef himself. He didn't even know he would be riding here until shortly before the Grio, and now Stef is getting better every day. This time trial has the feel of a victory for him."

'Not a good feeling'
Steven Kruijswijk started much later than his team mate. The leading rider also gave it his all. His interim time was that bit slower than that of his team mate, but at the finish line Kruijswijk was nine seconds faster. Of course, this didn't just happen of its own accord. "Steven admitted that he didn't have the good feeling this time", said Nice Verhoeven. Kruijswijk himself: "Finding the rhythm was very difficult. The climb was irregular with a flat start. It took a while before I got good cadence." The final kilometres took a long time. "I was giving it everything I had, and didn't have a great feeling in the last two kilometres, but the time and classification are still okay."

Team leader Verhoeven did not view the 'not so great feeling' as a bad omen. "Sometimes you can have a good feeling and ride a bad time. I would prefer it the other way around. It is not even so bad that he complains about it a bit, because that means that he went deep. You often see riders in a time trial complaining about not having good legs. It is a completely different discipline to a normal stage

'Jumpy, tense, impatient'
The Rabobank riders were quick to look ahead to the rest of the job at hand this week. "Friday and Saturday will be important days for Steven. Over the coming days a number of us will be jumpy, tense and impatient. Stef and Steven battled at full speed today. The others have done what they were supposed to do. The coming two stages are for breakaway riders. We are certainly going to attempt to be there with them." Verhoeven's belief in this is total. Where does this confidence come from? "The team is riding very strongly here. But most importantly, the atmosphere is fantastic. Nobody is talking about the end of the tour, no-one has mentioned going home. They all want to do it. They are still not rid of us in this Giro."

Consolidation for the Rabobank team

It was something a little different for once, no rider from the Rabobank ProTeam in the breakaway of the day. Nevertheless, that doesn't mean that the seventeenth stage of the Giro d'Italia was an easy day for the team. They rode fast and furiously and the last descent also required considerable them to be on the alert. Steven was cleverly kept towards the front and finished among all of the favourites. His thirteenth place in the general classification was never in danger. Victory looked like it was for Giovanni Visconti, who pushed Diego Ulissi away in the sprint, so that he was placed in third place and Ulissi instead gained the victory. Allberto Contador remained in the lead.

It was 230 kilometres of long and hard racing right from the start. After several breakaway attempts, a group of approximately fifteen riders managed to pull ahead, joined by one more later. For the first time in days, there was no Rabobank rider among them. Naturally team leader Nico Verhoeven would have liked to have had someone there, but he did not regret the situation. "Normally in six stages, you have someone in there once or maybe twice, and we had nobody there for the first time in six stages. Therefore it's a pity that this breakaway persisted. But I can't really blame them, because we tried several times today as well."

So if they aren't successful in having a rider in that group, as a team you focus on protecting your riders who are well-placed. "Then you have to consolidate," explained Nico Verhoeven. "Then the job is to get through the day well and not incur any losses. And happily that was very successful. The only important obstacle that still followed was the Aprica descent. That was quite difficult and located so close to the finish that there was a real risk of losing considerable time. "The climb was not difficult enough to make a difference, but the descent caused a few problems. Fortunately Steven Kruijswijk and Bram Tankink were attentive in the first part," said Verhoeven.

'Watching out in the descent'
"It was actually a full day of cycling. It was also quite warm, so that also made it tough going," stated Steven Kruijswijk after the finish. The best-placed Rabobank rider didn't have the best legs either, but ultimately did well during the day. "While it was indeed tough going, it also went very quickly, because we were riding the whole day. With those two climbs in there as well, that was tough. I was also feeling yesterday's efforts from the time trial. It didn't go that well in the beginning, but I got through it later. At the end it was a case of watching out in the descent. Then the group fragmented, and I was in front with Bram."

A nasty stage is also expected for Thursday. "Tomorrow's climb is a lot harder than today's final climb," predicted Nico Verhoeven. "We'll definitely have to be on the ball in the final part tomorrow. It's a great day for a breakaway, so naturally we want to be a part of that. But in the final climb some classification riders could also be competing very fiercely with each other. We will also have to make sure that you don't incur any unnecessary losses. The guys got through today okay, so let's hope that they can do the same tomorrow."

Rabobank team unscathed by fast stage

On paper the eighteenth stage of the Giro d'Italia could be called a transitional stage, but the race itself took place at murderous speed. It was not until after two hours that a leading group of twenty riders emerged, which was quickly thinned down to first six and then three riders. At the moment that the battle was won, the peloton had a free hand and eventually Eros Capecchi came in as the winner at six minutes. Bram Tankink was among the original leading group and crossed the finish line in eleventh place. Alberto Contador held onto his lead in the general classification, Steven Kruijswijk likewise remained in thirteenth place.

After two hours of racing the average speed was 51 kilometres per hour. Not until an in-between spurt on a short climb in Bergamo was the group finally successful in creating a gap in the peloton. As there were many teams participating and there was no threat to Contador, the peloton let them go. With Bram Tankink, the Rabobank team once again had a man in front. But when six riders pushed on ahead, Tankink was unable to go with them. Ultimately he still ended in front of the peloton in eleventh place. Dario Cataldo was the best-placed runner, but he was just ten seconds short of taking thirteenth place from Steven Kruijswijk.

Team leader Nico Verhoeven understood the reason for the very fast stage. "This was a stage about which each team had the same idea: get in with a breakaway. For the adventurers this is the last chance in this Giro, so everyone wants to do it. Twenty riders eventually got away, but these included many riders who had got away before and were somewhat fatigued. Because of this, six riders could separate very quickly, of whom three riders were eventually left.  It's a pity that Bram couldn't stay with them, but the fact that he managed to be with them at all is great."

Aspirations for the final stages
Steven Kruijswijk's thirteenth placed seemed briefly to be in jeopardy, due to Cataldo taking too large a head start on the peloton. Even so, Nico Verhoeven did not want his team to give chase. "If this is the case on the final day, then of course we will go after him. But we still have two very tough stages ahead of us, and we need to focus completely on these. This is why as a team we weren't preoccupied with Cataldo, but simply concentrated on getting ourselves through the day as well as we could. And we managed to do this, even without Steven losing his place."

Nico Verhoeven is ambitious in view of the last three days in the Giro. It is not a question of defending Steven Kruijswijk's thirteenth place, but Verhoeven feels there is still a place in the top ten. "There is just three and a half minutes between Steven and fifth place. When you're in this position, as a sportsman you don't want to defend thirteenth place, you have to dare to look further. In those two difficult stages that are coming, it could well be that some riders will fall by the wayside. So our business is to pilot Steven through those stages as well as we possibly can and hope he has the right legs for the job."

Kruijswijk's chances of making top ten increase

In the last phase of the Giro d'Italia, Rabobank leading rider Steven Kruijswijk is edging ever closer to the top. On Friday he came in sixth in the uphill finish of the stage, barely six counts behind stage winner Paolo Tiralongo and classification leader Alberto Contador.  Other top riders such as Rujano, Sivtsov, Menchov, Arroyo, Cataldo and even Kreuziger lost more time. Kruijswijk climbed to eleventh place in the classification. He is now 01:09 behind number ten, Rujano. In the youth classification, Kruijswijk's distance from leader Kreuziger shrank to 02:36.

With one more tough mountain stage and an individual time trial ahead, team leader Nico Verhoeven is in an optimistic mood. "Steven hasn't had a weak day here yet and I have every confidence in him being good on Saturday too. That will be different to today's stage. The final climb today was mainly long and therefore tough, but it wasn't really steep. Saturday's final part is of a totally different calibre and this also suits Steven better. In any case, he has to make sure to break away with the others. I don't think the form will be an issue, as he's in very good condition. We'll just see how it works out."

'Favourable omens'
Verhoeven has observed with some satisfaction that many of his leading rider's rivals are not recovering as well from all of their efforts. The group immediately behind the indefatigable Contador consisted of just five names on Friday, and Kruiswijk's was one of them. A number of riders in the top ten had a considerably tougher race. Former Rabobank top rider Denis Menchov, for example, lost almost a minute on his former team mate. The only man previously able to follow Contador in the difficult mountain stages in this Giro, José Rujano, lost as many as 2.5 minutes. "Those are favourable omens for us, because Saturday is not a seconds race, but will be measured in minutes. I see real opportunities for Steven", predicted Nico Verhoeven.

But he was also cautious. "It could be over just like that. you never know what could happen. Today there was another major fall that several riders got caught in. Luckily all of our guys weren't hurt. But once again, an accident can happen anywhere. It can suddenly be over just like that. But this time we were on the good side of the score." Besides this bit of good luck, Verhoeven's team rode well again on Friday.  Kruijswijk was well assisted throughout the stage and on the final climb Bram Tankink spent considerable time with his leading rider, who himself gradually 'got better' in the course of the stage. 

"Initially I found the high speeds a bit difficult, but at that last bit I was feeling very good," Kruijswijk himself admitted. Six kilometres from the finish he even tested the riders in Contador's group. His short acceleration lasted for a hundred metres. After that he let himself fall back into the Contador group, where he could follow better. When Contador broke away, nobody reacted. Kruijswijk: "You know he's going and you also know that following him is almost impossible. The others also realise that you explode then. But I'm very satisfied. After that tough start to this stage, the legs were in good shape at the end."

Youth jersey briefly within reach

In 2010 Steven Kruijswijk came 18th in the final classification of the Giro. This year he is almost certain to finish in the top ten. On Saturday the Rabobank top rider managed to climb to ninth place in the final mountain stage. At one point on the excruciating Colle delle Finèstre, Kruijswijk even looked like threatening the current wearer of the white jersey Roman Kreuziger, but the Czech recovered and ultimately lost only 18 seconds. Belarusian Vasilli Kirijenka rounded off a long escape with a win in Sestrière. Kruijswijk came in seventh just before Alberto Contador and climbed to ninth place in the classification.

The young rider from Brabant's head start on his greatest rivals, the Spaniard Nieve and Belorusian Sivtsov, is not large, but team leader Nico Verhoeven (photo) sees enough chances in the closing time trial on Sunday to keep the position in the hotly contested top ten in any case. "I believe Sivtsov is a good time trial rider, but Nieve is not really a specialist. Steven now has a second of a head start on him. That's very little, but it should be possible to increase it", was his expectation in Sestrière.

Impressive on Finèstre
Verhoeven commended his leading rider on his certainly very impressive performance on Finèstre, which is an absolute brute of a mountain pass, at eighteen kilometres long and with an average gradient percentage of 9.2%. As well as this, the final six kilometres were on an unpaved road surface. Kruijswijk seemed to go up the hill in the Contador group with playful ease. Verhoeven: "Steven was without a doubt one of the best in the group of favourites. It was only a pity that they weren't racing. Keruziger was not able to keep the pace there, but the gap never exceeded a minute. The top riders were watching each other and Nibali's pace setters were riding too slowly."

Thus the team leader thought it 'senseless' to tell Kruijswijk to increase the pace. "I never considered it. I am not going to push Steven to this, because then you run a great risk that he will come up hard against this himself at a later stage. It was really not up to Steven to set to the pace. Other interests were still much greater, but the others wouldn't or couldn't. Pity, because he could have made the fight in the youth classification very exciting indeed.  If they have put up a fight, Kreuziger would have been out. By now he was looking towards getting back in front in the descent."

Coming down the Finèstre, the status quo among the top riders remained intact and Keruziger returned from the background. Not much more happened after two unsuccessful attacks by Joaquin Rodriguez and Steven Kruijswijk on the reasonable final climb to Sestrière. Rodriguez still managed to successfully ride ahead in the final kilometres and Kreuziger, by now riding on empty, could no longer follow. He lost another 18 seconds, but this was still not enough for Kruijswijk to get the youth jersey. However, Nieve and Sivtsov had lost several minutes, which meant that Kruijwijk stormed into the top ten. No matter what happens tomorrow, his second Giro looks set to finish very well indeed. Just the time trial to go. 

Rabobank team decides difficult race in style

Steven Kruijswijk's ninth position in the general classification of the Giro d'Italia was not in danger in the final stage. In the closing time-trial, the Rabobank champion even managed to catch up on his rival the Spaniard Nieve. Although the second rival Sivtsov had a faster time trial than Steven, he came in too short. Alberto Contador's final win was in no danger either. Interestingly, the battle was for the day's prize, which was ultimately fought out among the riders from the lower regions of the classification. David Millar won, in front of Dane Alex Rasmussen, who finished on a flat tyre. Jos van Emden (photo), the final number in the general classification, came in smartly in sixth place.

Van Emdem was the best of a group of Rabobank riders, all of whom pulled out all the stops on the closing day in Milan. Naturally Steven Kruijswijk was among them, and he was even in the top ten at the first measuring point and seemed to be in line for a top classification. The rider from Brabant lost something in the second part, but that did not take from the fact that he finished the flat time trial at the end of this extremely difficult race very well. He came in twentieth at 01:31 on race winner Millar. Team leader Nico Verhoeven also watched this with satisfaction. "This is just a solid time trial from Steven. He's managed to keep his ninth place good and safe. Very well done."

The team leader also had plenty of praise for other riders in his team. Rick Flens finished eighteenth just if front of his leading man, Stef Clement came in 21st and Dennis van Winden 26th. A stylish finish from the Rabobank team, which exceeded the already very surprising Giro of 2010. Kruijswijk finished in the top ten and made an impression in practically all of the mountain stages. In the final week he belonged with the five best climbers in Alberto Contador's wake. Pieter Weening won a stage beautifully and wore the pink jersey for four days. It was an optimal result for a group of adventurers, who with the guidance of Verhoeven and Jan Boven have grown into an extremely homogeneous group.

Beautiful sixth place
Of that set, Jos van Emden was indeed last in the classification, but on Sunday nobody had any hard feelings over this. What did count was Jos' wonderful sixth place among the top riders, barely 26 seconds from the great Contador. "It was a goal for Jos today, he wanted to go for it 100 per cent", said Nico Verhoeven. "He also did well with his sixth place." At the start of the time trial, the team leader did have some doubts as to Van Emden's time was now really worth it. "Rasmussen did manage to come in a minute under that time. Then you can't help but wonder if your time trial is worth it. But the result is ultimately good, that's just great. Sixth place in the last time trial in a big race is really good."