Name : Robert Gesink
Country : Netherlands
Date of Birth : 31 May 1986
Weight : 68kg
Height : 1.87m
Turned Pro : 2007
Performances
2007 Amgen Tour of California - 20th (1st Young Rider Class.)
2007 Clasica de Ameria - 9th
2007 Vuelta a Murcia - 20th
2007 Vuelta a Castilla y Leon - 10th
2007 Hel Van Het Mergelland - 10th
2007 Rund um Koln - 55th
2007 Tour de Belgique - 44th
2007 Tour du Nord des Pays-Bas - 5th
2007 Tour de Romandie - 13th
2007 Flèche Wallonne - 9th
2007 Classic d'Alméria - 9th
2007 Clasica San Sebastian - 13th
2007 Deutschland Tour - 5th (1st Young Rider Class.)
2007 Druivenkoers - Overijse - 12th
I don't think anyone will be surprised that I have chosen to spotlight Robert Gesink as a likely star of the future. He was signed up to the Rabobank team at the end of the 2006 season from the Rabobank (Continental) team. At the time, team manager Theo de Rooij explained his promotion by saying, "Robert is an extraordinary talent. We have to be very careful with him. A Dutch climber, who can be as fast as the best: we have to cherish him. His development is going so fast, time has come for him to steadily learn the trade."
At the time of writing this he is eight months into his Pro Tour career and he has already had 5 Top 10 finishes under his belt. His build is very similar to Michael Rasmussen, long and lean and a natural climber he is suited to the big mountain stages.
In the Amgen Tour of California he made his presence felt in the 3rd stage over the high Sierra Mountains when he finished 4th behind the likes of Jens Voigt, Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner. But he had already announced his audacity in the 1st stage of the race when he attempted a break away with 4 other riders. Although it was a short lived escape it announced that he is a rider who won't just sit back and let things happen. His 20th placing and Young Rider Classification win would have been an enormous boost to the young man.
He followed that up with his first Top 10 finish, a 9th place in the Clasica de Ameria where he picked up points in a couple of the Mountain passes.
Fast forward a couple of months to June and he was riding the Tour of Belgium. The 4th stage of the Tour was the 199.7km queen stage from Herzele to Aywaille and Robert, fresh from celebrating his 21st birthday, attacked on the final climb of the day. Guys like Vladimir Gusev, Leif Hoste and Jelle Vanendert tried to react but couldn't match him and he won the day by 13 seconds over the chasers.
Right through his short career so far, it has been the mountain stages that has allowed him to display his wares. The latest highlight has been in the recent Deutschland Tour on the queen stage which took the riders over the highest climb on the 2007 calendar, the Rettenbachferner. Robert went over in third place behind stage winner David Lopez Garcia and eventual Tour winner Jens Voigt. Big names who dropped away from his back wheel included Levi Leipheimer, Damiano Cunego and Davide Rebellin.
So far, the tally for Robert Gesink is impressive.
1 stage win (Tour of Belgium)
2 Young Rider Classifications (Tour of California & Deutschland Tour)
5 Top 10 GC finishes
...I suspect there will be more to come.
For a full bio, his planned programme, news and other "must know" stuff about him, visit Robert Gesink's website. (In Dutch)
