Rabobank Wraps up Successful Giro
|
Mollema proved he's one of the sport's top up and coming talents with some impressive rides in the mountains of the Giro. Cor Vos photo.
;setMainNewsImageZoomLink('/_upload/news/2010/mollema_giro2010.jpg');setCaption(document.image_thumb); "Mollema proved he's one of the sport's top up and coming talents with some impressive rides in the mountains of the Giro. Cor Vos photo.")
;setMainNewsImageZoomLink('/_upload/news/2010/giro_3_brown1.jpg');setCaption(document.image_extra_one_thumb); "Brown sprinted his way into the leader's jersey in Stage 3. Cor Vos photo.")
;setMainNewsImageZoomLink('/_upload/news/2010/giro10_17_kruijswijk.jpg');setCaption(document.image_extra_two_thumb); "Kruijswijk's aggressive riding opened some eyes to Rabobank's solid young talent. Cor Vos photo.")
Mollema Emerges as Top Young Star
The Rabobank team wrapped up its 2010 Giro d’Italia on Sunday, May 30, with another consistent performance, placing three riders in the top-20 at the Stage 21 Time Trial in Verona.
With Rabobank’s defending Giro champion Denis Menchov skipping the race in order to focus on the Tour de France this year, the team adjusted its approach to the three-week Tour of Italy, aiming for stage wins, breakaways and overall aggressive riding. As a result, Rabobank proved to be one of the most active teams and finished second overall in the Teams Classification.
Individual highlights at this year’s Giro included: Australian Graeme Brown sprinting to second place on his Giant TCR Advanced SL bike in Stage 3 and also wearing the points classification leader’s jersey early in the three-week race; Steven Kriujswijk finishing third in Stage 17 after after a long breakaway; and Bauke Mollema leading the team’s GC efforts finishing 12th overall.
In the end, Rabobank finished with an impressive three riders in the top-20 overall. Leading the way was Mollema, who at age 23 proved he’s one of the sport’s top young overall riders. In one of the most difficult and mountainous Giros in recent memory, Mollema finished third overall in the Young Rider Category and was competitive in the race’s most grueling mountain stages.
Mollema, winner of the 2007 Tour de l’Avenir—one of the most important stage races for young riders—told Cyclingnews.com he was pleased with his Giro performance. “In every mountain I was in the top 10 or 15,” he said. “I feel I’m going to be even better next year. My ultimate goal is to win the Tour de France.”
Other top Rabobank GC riders were Colombian Mauricio Ardila, 15th overall and Kruijswijk, 18th overall. Now the team turns its attention to the major June stage races including the Dauphiné Libéré in France and Tour of Switzerland before the season’s second grand tour, the Tour de France, in July.
The Rabobank team wrapped up its 2010 Giro d’Italia on Sunday, May 30, with another consistent performance, placing three riders in the top-20 at the Stage 21 Time Trial in Verona.
With Rabobank’s defending Giro champion Denis Menchov skipping the race in order to focus on the Tour de France this year, the team adjusted its approach to the three-week Tour of Italy, aiming for stage wins, breakaways and overall aggressive riding. As a result, Rabobank proved to be one of the most active teams and finished second overall in the Teams Classification.
Individual highlights at this year’s Giro included: Australian Graeme Brown sprinting to second place on his Giant TCR Advanced SL bike in Stage 3 and also wearing the points classification leader’s jersey early in the three-week race; Steven Kriujswijk finishing third in Stage 17 after after a long breakaway; and Bauke Mollema leading the team’s GC efforts finishing 12th overall.
In the end, Rabobank finished with an impressive three riders in the top-20 overall. Leading the way was Mollema, who at age 23 proved he’s one of the sport’s top young overall riders. In one of the most difficult and mountainous Giros in recent memory, Mollema finished third overall in the Young Rider Category and was competitive in the race’s most grueling mountain stages.
Mollema, winner of the 2007 Tour de l’Avenir—one of the most important stage races for young riders—told Cyclingnews.com he was pleased with his Giro performance. “In every mountain I was in the top 10 or 15,” he said. “I feel I’m going to be even better next year. My ultimate goal is to win the Tour de France.”
Other top Rabobank GC riders were Colombian Mauricio Ardila, 15th overall and Kruijswijk, 18th overall. Now the team turns its attention to the major June stage races including the Dauphiné Libéré in France and Tour of Switzerland before the season’s second grand tour, the Tour de France, in July.
31 May 2010
