Rabobank (cycling team)
Encyclopedia
Rabobank is a professional bicycle racing
team, sponsored by the Rabobank
. The team consists of three sections: ProTeam (the UCI ProTour
team), Continental (a talent team racing in the UCI Europe Tour), and Cyclo-cross
. The team formerly rode Colnago
frames but as of 1 January 2009 began a two year contract riding Giant
frames equipped with Shimano
components.
The cycling team was founded for the 1984 season under the name Kwantum, with mostly cyclists coming from the TI-Raleigh
cycling team. Since 1984, the team has entered every Tour de France
and since the introduction of divisions in 1998, the team has always been in the first division.
, teams take name from their main sponsors. The Rabobank team has previously had the following sponsors, and thus names.
team split up because of tension between former world champion Jan Raas
and team leader Peter Post
, with seven cyclists following Post to the new Panasonic-team and six cyclists joining Raas to the Kwantum team. The team captains of the Kwantum team were Guillaume Driessens, Jan Gisbers and Walter Godefroot
. In their first year, the team managed to win the red jersey
for intermediate sprints and one stage in the 1984 Tour de France
, the Amstel Gold Race
and the Dutch national road championship. After the 1984 season, Jan Raas
stopped as an active cyclist and became team manager. In 1985 the Kwantum team had a successful year. Victories included two Tour de France
stage, the Tour of Luxembourg, Paris–Tours, Paris–Brussels, the Tirreno–Adriatico, the Tour of Belgium
, again the Dutch national road championship, and the World cycling championship (Joop Zoetemelk
).
1986 was less successful; the most important victory was Tour of Belgium
.
, the new sprinter Jean-Paul van Poppel
(coming from the Skala cycling team) gave the team a great year, with three stage wins in the Tour de France
(of which two for van Poppel) and the victory in the points classification in the Tour de France
for Jean-Paul van Poppel. Joop Zoetemelk ended his career with a victory in the Amstel Gold Race
.
From 1988 on, the team was known as Superconfex – Yoko – Opel – Colnago. 1988 was also a successful season for the team, with victories in Paris–Brussels, the Tour of Ireland
, the Tour of Belgium
, the Amstel Gold Race
, and six stages in the Tour de France
.
In the 1989 season, Jean-Paul van Poppel
changed to the Panasonic team. In 1989 his sprinting capacities were missed, and the number of victories was reduced. Still, Paris–Brussels, the Tour of Flanders
and Paris–Tours were won, together with two stages in the 1989 Tour de France
.
was won again, and the Ronde van Nederland
was won as well. That year, the team had the winner of the Dutch national road race championships again, as Peter Winnen
won the race.
In 1991, the team won the Amstel Gold Race
, the Ronde van Nederland
and Tour of Flanders
. The team had taken over Steven Rooks
from the Panasonic team, who immediately became the Dutch national road race champion.
The worst year in the team's history was 1992. Only 26 races were won in the season, compared to 64 victories in the successful 1988 season. 1992 also saw a young Erik Dekker
entering the team. After that season, Buckler decided to stop sponsoring.
. Steven Rooks
left the team, Raúl Alcalá
joined the team. Still, the 1993 season did not turn out a great season, with only 29 victories, the most important being Three Days of De Panne
and the Tour DuPont
.
In 1993 and 1994, Michael Boogerd
and Leon van Bon
started their professional career in the team, and Viatcheslav Ekimov
also came. The Tour du Pont was won again, together with the Tour of Luxembourg. The year still was disappointing with only 25 victories.
, the winner of the points classification
in the 1994 Tour de France
. Abdoujaparov won one stage in the Tour de France
, but other than that, the year was still not what the sponsors had hoped, so a new sponsor had to be found. The title sponsor of the previous two years, WordPerfect, was a product of Novell Software, which carried the team's name this one season.
s. As a Dutch
cycling team
, the team has signed many of the prominent Dutch cyclists of the 1990s including Adrie van der Poel, Richard Groenendaal
and Erik Breukink
as well as keeping the prominent Dutch cyclists from the Novell team that included Leon van Bon
, Erik Dekker
and Michael Boogerd
. In addition the team had many successful cyclists in Edwig van Hooydonck
, Rolf Sorensen, Johan Bruyneel
and the neo-pro for the 1996 season Australian Robbie McEwen
.
The Rabobank team has dominated the Dutch National championships over several disciplines in cycling for example Elite and Under 23 time trial championships, Elite and Under 23 Road Race, Elite and Under 23 Cyclo-cross disciplines as well as Mountain Bike championships.
The team also has had the World Champion in several categories for example Cyclo-cross; in 1996 Adrie van der Poel, in 2000 Richard Groenendaal
and in 2004 Sven Nys
. Óscar Freire
became UCI Road World Champion in 2004. Sven Nys
, Thijs Verhagen and Lars Boom
were Under 23 Cyclo-cross World Champions in 1997, 2002 and 2007 respectively while Boom was became Under 23 World Time trial champion in 2007.
In the 2000 Cyclo-cross World championships there was a conflict between the commercial team interests and the national team interests. Groenendaal attacked during the first lap and was chased by defending cyclo-cross world champion Mario De Clercq
who was followed by Groenendaal's Rabobank teammate Sven Nys
. Team manager Jan Raas
allegedly told Nys not to cooperate in the chase of his commercial teammate and as a result De Clercq never caught Groenendaal enabling Groenendaal to become World Champion. As a result, Nys received much criticism from the Belgian team manager Erik De Vlaeminck as well as the Belgian public.
Jan Raas
was the team manager for the first eight years of the teams existence. In 2003 Raas was removed rather abruptly which surprised the other members of staff including Theo De Rooy as well as riders Erik Dekker
and Michael Boogerd
. De Rooy was promoted to team manager and a former Rabobank rider who had been at that time working as a PR man for Rabobank, Erik Breukink
, was named as the new directeur sportif
to replace De Rooy. In August 2007 in the aftermath of the affair in which Michael Rasmussen
was removed during the 2007 Tour de France
, De Rooij resigned from his position as team manager.
such as the Ronde van Vlaanderen in 1997, Championship of Hamburg in 1998, the Amstel Gold Race
in 1999 and 2001, Paris–Tours in 1999, 2004 and 2010, Clásica de San Sebastián
in 2000 and Milan – San Remo in 2004, 2007 and 2010. Erik Dekker
won the UCI World Cup in 2001 due to his Classic win and high placings in many of the classics.
The team signed American Levi Leipheimer
in 2002 as a rider for the Tour de France
. Leipheimer finished eighth in his first Tour but crashed out of the race on the first stage of the 2003 Tour de France
. Leipheimer finished ninth overall the following year. The team became more of a Grand Tour team as could be seen by Michael Rasmussen
's win in the Mountains Classification of the 2005 Tour de France
. When Denis Menchov
took the lead in the 2005 Vuelta a España, he was not expecting to be competing for the overall classification The Rabobank team at that year's Vuelta were not seen as particularly strong or able to assist Menchov in the mountain stages. Menchov finished second to Roberto Heras
which was the highest placing of a Rabobank team rider at a grand tour after Michael Boogerd
's fifth place in the 1998 Tour de France
. Heras was later disqualified for doping and Menchov was made the winner. The following year Menchov focused on the Tour de France where the team rode strongly with Menchov, Boogerd and Rasmussen.
During the 2007 Tour de France
, Rabobank fired Michael Rasmussen
(2005 Tour de France
, 2006 Tour de France
K.O.M.
) for code-violations while he was in the yellow jersey
. The remaining riders of the Rabobank team were given the choice to start the 17th stage without Michael Rasmussen, or to withdraw. That evening they decided to withdraw, but the team changed its mind and announced the following morning that the riders would be starting the 17th stage. Although he started with the rest of the team, Denis Menchov
(team leader on the road, who deferred to Rasmussen when the latter seemed to have a better chance at winning) abandoned the race in the middle of the stage.
The Rabobank team was invited for the 2008 Tour de France
. Denis Menchov had decided to focus on the Tour de France. To do that, he did not defend his Vuelta a España
-title, and rode the 2008 Giro d'Italia
as preparation for the Tour de France. Menchov finished 4th place in the 2008 Tour de France
, and Óscar Freire
won the points classification
. The team had to wait until 2009 for the first successes in the Giro d'Italia
, when Denis Menchov
won two stages; a mountain finish and a time trial. This second win earned him the pink leader jersey, which the team defended to the end of the race, earning Menchov, and Rabobank, their third Grand Tour GC win.
and Richard Groenendaal
winning the General Classification competitions such as the Superprestige, the World Cup and the Gazet van Anwerpen trophy over the last eight years. Groenendaal dominated the Dutch cyclo-cross championships for many years. Groenendaal left the team after the 2006–2007 season. He was at that time one of the few remaining Rabobank riders from the 1996 team. Lars Boom
joined the team in 2002 as a junior cyclo-cross rider and has already achieved success in the Elite cyclo-cross championships as well as showing promise riding in the UCI Europe Tour with the Rabobank Continental team.
Since 1996, the team won 1796 races, of which 491 were won in the (UCI) ProTour, and 362 in the cyclo-cross protour.
Note: (*) are (also) cyclo-cross specialists
Bicycle racing
Bicycle racing is a competition sport in which various types of bicycles are used. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, bike trials, and cycle speedway. Bicycle racing is recognised as an Olympic sport...
team, sponsored by the Rabobank
Rabobank
Rabobank is a financial services provider with offices worldwide. Their main location is in the Netherlands. They are a global leader in Food and Agri financing and in sustainability-oriented banking...
. The team consists of three sections: ProTeam (the UCI ProTour
UCI ProTour
The UCI ProTour was a series of road bicycle races in Europe, Australia and Canada organised by the UCI . Created by Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI, it comprises a number of 'ProTour' cycling teams, each of whom are required to compete in every round of the series...
team), Continental (a talent team racing in the UCI Europe Tour), and Cyclo-cross
Cyclo-cross
Cyclo-cross is a form of bicycle racing. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter , and consists of many laps of a short course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and...
. The team formerly rode Colnago
Colnago
Colnago is a manufacturer of high-end road-racing bicycles founded by Ernesto Colnago in 1954 near Milano in Cambiago, Italy. Instead of following his family's farming business Ernesto Colnago chose to work in the cycle trade, apprenticing first with Gloria Bicycles at 13, subsequently taking up...
frames but as of 1 January 2009 began a two year contract riding Giant
Giant Manufacturing
Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd. is a Taiwanese bicycle manufacturer which bills itself as the world's largest bicycle manufacturer. Giant has manufacturing facilities in Taiwan, Netherlands, and Mainland China.-History:...
frames equipped with Shimano
Shimano
Shimano, Inc. is a Japanese multinational manufacturer of cycling components, fishing tackle, and rowing equipment.In 2005, the company had net sales of US $1.4 billion. Bicycle components provided 75% of its sales income...
components.
The cycling team was founded for the 1984 season under the name Kwantum, with mostly cyclists coming from the TI-Raleigh
TI-Raleigh
TI-Raleigh was a Dutch professional road bicycle racing team between 1974 and 1983. The team was created and led by Peter Post.The team was successful in classics and in stage races. Riders included Joop Zoetemelk, Jan Raas, Gerrie Knetemann, Hennie Kuiper, Dave Lloyd, Urs Freuler, Henk Lubberding,...
cycling team. Since 1984, the team has entered every Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
and since the introduction of divisions in 1998, the team has always been in the first division.
History
In road bicycle racingRoad bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
, teams take name from their main sponsors. The Rabobank team has previously had the following sponsors, and thus names.
Kwantum Hallen-Decosol-Yoko (1984–1986)
After the season of 1983, the TI-RaleighTI-Raleigh
TI-Raleigh was a Dutch professional road bicycle racing team between 1974 and 1983. The team was created and led by Peter Post.The team was successful in classics and in stage races. Riders included Joop Zoetemelk, Jan Raas, Gerrie Knetemann, Hennie Kuiper, Dave Lloyd, Urs Freuler, Henk Lubberding,...
team split up because of tension between former world champion Jan Raas
Jan Raas
Jan Raas is a Dutch former professional cyclist whose 115 wins include the 1979 World Road Race Championship in Valkenburg, he also won the Ronde van Vlaanderen in 1979 and 1983, Paris–Roubaix in 1982 and Milan – San Remo in 1977. He won ten stages in the Tour de France...
and team leader Peter Post
Peter Post
Peter Post was a Dutch professional cyclist whose career lasted from 1956 to 1972. Post competed in road and track racing. As a rider he is best remembered for Six-day racing, having competed in 155 races and won 65. Because of this success he was known as “De Keizer van de Zesdaagse” or “The...
, with seven cyclists following Post to the new Panasonic-team and six cyclists joining Raas to the Kwantum team. The team captains of the Kwantum team were Guillaume Driessens, Jan Gisbers and Walter Godefroot
Walter Godefroot
Walter Godefroot is a retired Belgian professional road bicycle racer and former directeur sportif of , later known as T-Mobile Team, professional team....
. In their first year, the team managed to win the red jersey
Red jersey
The red jersey is given to the cyclist that came last as a mock. Although it was abolished in 1989. -Red jersey as mountains classification leader:The red jersey also signifies the mountains classification leader and winner for several popular stage races including but not limited to:* Paris–Nice...
for intermediate sprints and one stage in the 1984 Tour de France
1984 Tour de France
The 1984 Tour de France was the 71st Tour de France, run over 4020.9 km in 23 stages and a prologue, from 29 June to 22 July 1984.French rider Laurent Fignon won his second consecutive Tour, beating former teammate Bernard Hinault by over 10 minutes. Hinault was pursuing his fifth Tour...
, the Amstel Gold Race
Amstel Gold Race
The Amstel Gold Race is a road bicycle race held in the southern part of the province of Limburg, Netherlands. Since 1989 it has been among the races included in season long rankings tables, as part of the UCI Road World Cup , the UCI ProTour , UCI World Ranking and from 2011 the UCI World Tour...
and the Dutch national road championship. After the 1984 season, Jan Raas
Jan Raas
Jan Raas is a Dutch former professional cyclist whose 115 wins include the 1979 World Road Race Championship in Valkenburg, he also won the Ronde van Vlaanderen in 1979 and 1983, Paris–Roubaix in 1982 and Milan – San Remo in 1977. He won ten stages in the Tour de France...
stopped as an active cyclist and became team manager. In 1985 the Kwantum team had a successful year. Victories included two Tour de France
1985 Tour de France
The 1985 Tour de France was the 72nd Tour de France, taking place June 28 to July 21, 1985, over 4109 km in 22 stages and a prologue.Bernard Hinault would attempt to equal the records of Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx who had each won the Tour de France five times. Hinault was unable to...
stage, the Tour of Luxembourg, Paris–Tours, Paris–Brussels, the Tirreno–Adriatico, the Tour of Belgium
Tour of Belgium
The Tour of Belgium is a four-day bicycle race which is held annually in Belgium.It was held annually between 1908 and 1981, except during both world wars. Between 1982 and 1990 several of races were not organised and none at all during the decade 1991 to 2001...
, again the Dutch national road championship, and the World cycling championship (Joop Zoetemelk
Joop Zoetemelk
Hendrik Gerardus Jozef "Joop" Zoetemelk is a retired professional racing cyclist from the Netherlands who has emigrated to France. He started the Tour de France 16 times and finished every time, a record. He won the race in 1980 and also came eighth, fifth, fourth and second...
).
1986 was less successful; the most important victory was Tour of Belgium
Tour of Belgium
The Tour of Belgium is a four-day bicycle race which is held annually in Belgium.It was held annually between 1908 and 1981, except during both world wars. Between 1982 and 1990 several of races were not organised and none at all during the decade 1991 to 2001...
.
Superconfex-Yoko (1987–1989)
For the 1987 season, the main sponsor became Superconfex. In that year, the team was officially known as Superconfex – Kwantum – Yoko – Colnago. Jan Raas remained the team leader. After a victory in Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne for Ludo PeetersLudo Peeters
Ludo Peeters is a former Belgian professional road bicycle racer. He was professional from 1974 to 1990. He rode ten editions of the Tour de France and won 3 stages, one in 1980, one in 1982 and one in 1986...
, the new sprinter Jean-Paul van Poppel
Jean-Paul van Poppel
Jean-Paul van Poppel is a former Dutch racing cyclist, who was nicknamed Popeye.Van Poppel was one of the most successful Dutch road sprinters. He won stages in mass sprints in all three Grand Tours, sometimes from positions that appeared lost. In the Tour de France he won 9 stages altogether...
(coming from the Skala cycling team) gave the team a great year, with three stage wins in the Tour de France
1987 Tour de France
The 1987 Tour de France was the 74th Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 26, 1987. It consisted of 25 stages over 4231 km, ridden at an average speed of 36.645 km/h...
(of which two for van Poppel) and the victory in the points classification in the Tour de France
Points classification in the Tour de France
The points classification in the Tour de France is a secondary competition in the Tour de France, that started in 1953. Points are given for high finishes in a stage and for winning intermediate sprints, and these are recorded in a points classification. It is considered a sprinters' competition...
for Jean-Paul van Poppel. Joop Zoetemelk ended his career with a victory in the Amstel Gold Race
Amstel Gold Race
The Amstel Gold Race is a road bicycle race held in the southern part of the province of Limburg, Netherlands. Since 1989 it has been among the races included in season long rankings tables, as part of the UCI Road World Cup , the UCI ProTour , UCI World Ranking and from 2011 the UCI World Tour...
.
From 1988 on, the team was known as Superconfex – Yoko – Opel – Colnago. 1988 was also a successful season for the team, with victories in Paris–Brussels, the Tour of Ireland
Tour of Ireland
The Tour of Ireland is a bicycle stage race held in August. The first race debuted in 1953 and ran until 1957. It was revived in 1965 and ran until 1985. In 1985 the 5 day Nissan International Classic took over as the Tour of Ireland. This lasted for 8 years until 1992...
, the Tour of Belgium
Tour of Belgium
The Tour of Belgium is a four-day bicycle race which is held annually in Belgium.It was held annually between 1908 and 1981, except during both world wars. Between 1982 and 1990 several of races were not organised and none at all during the decade 1991 to 2001...
, the Amstel Gold Race
Amstel Gold Race
The Amstel Gold Race is a road bicycle race held in the southern part of the province of Limburg, Netherlands. Since 1989 it has been among the races included in season long rankings tables, as part of the UCI Road World Cup , the UCI ProTour , UCI World Ranking and from 2011 the UCI World Tour...
, and six stages in the Tour de France
1988 Tour de France
The 1988 Tour de France was the 75th Tour de France, taking place from July 4 to July 24, 1988. It consisted of 22 stages over 3281 km, ridden at an average speed of 38.909 km/h...
.
In the 1989 season, Jean-Paul van Poppel
Jean-Paul van Poppel
Jean-Paul van Poppel is a former Dutch racing cyclist, who was nicknamed Popeye.Van Poppel was one of the most successful Dutch road sprinters. He won stages in mass sprints in all three Grand Tours, sometimes from positions that appeared lost. In the Tour de France he won 9 stages altogether...
changed to the Panasonic team. In 1989 his sprinting capacities were missed, and the number of victories was reduced. Still, Paris–Brussels, the Tour of Flanders
Tour of Flanders
The Tour of Flanders is a Flanders Classics road cycling race held in Belgium every spring, a week before the Paris–Roubaix road race. It is part of the UCI World Tour and one of the so-called monuments of the European professional calendar. It is the most important cycling race in Flanders...
and Paris–Tours were won, together with two stages in the 1989 Tour de France
1989 Tour de France
The 1989 Tour de France was the 76th Tour de France, a race of 21 stages and a prologue, over 3285 km in total. In the closest tour in history, Greg LeMond was behind by 50 seconds at the start of the final stage, a time trial into Paris. LeMond rode for an average speed of 54.55 km/h ,...
.
Buckler-Colnago-Decca (1990–1992)
After the 1989 season, the main sponsoring was taken over by Buckler. The Tour of BelgiumTour of Belgium
The Tour of Belgium is a four-day bicycle race which is held annually in Belgium.It was held annually between 1908 and 1981, except during both world wars. Between 1982 and 1990 several of races were not organised and none at all during the decade 1991 to 2001...
was won again, and the Ronde van Nederland
Ronde van Nederland
The Ronde van Nederland is a road bicycle racing stage-race in the Netherlands, founded in 1948. It's an annual race since 1975. Because of the start of the UCI ProTour in 2005 the tour was replaced by the Eneco Tour of Benelux....
was won as well. That year, the team had the winner of the Dutch national road race championships again, as Peter Winnen
Peter Winnen
Peter Johannes Gertrudis Winnen is a Dutch former road racing cyclist. He was professional from 1980 until 1991. Among his 14 victories were two stages at Alpe d'Huez in the Tour de France and a national championship. He came third in the Tour de France in 1983.-Results:1981...
won the race.
In 1991, the team won the Amstel Gold Race
Amstel Gold Race
The Amstel Gold Race is a road bicycle race held in the southern part of the province of Limburg, Netherlands. Since 1989 it has been among the races included in season long rankings tables, as part of the UCI Road World Cup , the UCI ProTour , UCI World Ranking and from 2011 the UCI World Tour...
, the Ronde van Nederland
Ronde van Nederland
The Ronde van Nederland is a road bicycle racing stage-race in the Netherlands, founded in 1948. It's an annual race since 1975. Because of the start of the UCI ProTour in 2005 the tour was replaced by the Eneco Tour of Benelux....
and Tour of Flanders
Tour of Flanders
The Tour of Flanders is a Flanders Classics road cycling race held in Belgium every spring, a week before the Paris–Roubaix road race. It is part of the UCI World Tour and one of the so-called monuments of the European professional calendar. It is the most important cycling race in Flanders...
. The team had taken over Steven Rooks
Steven Rooks
Steven Rooks is a former Dutch professional road racing cyclist known for his climbing ability. His professional career ran from 1982–1995.- Tour de France :...
from the Panasonic team, who immediately became the Dutch national road race champion.
The worst year in the team's history was 1992. Only 26 races were won in the season, compared to 64 victories in the successful 1988 season. 1992 also saw a young Erik Dekker
Erik Dekker
Hendrik "Erik" Dekker is a retired Dutch professional road racing cyclist active from 1992 until 2006. He was a member of the Rabobank cycling team from 1996 till 2006. In 2007 he became one of Rabobank's team managers.-Amateur career:...
entering the team. After that season, Buckler decided to stop sponsoring.
Wordperfect-Colnago-Decca (1993–1994)
A new sponsor was found in WordPerfectWordPerfect
WordPerfect is a word processing application, now owned by Corel.Bruce Bastian, a Brigham Young University graduate student, and BYU computer science professor Dr. Alan Ashton joined forces to design a word processing system for the city of Orem's Data General Corp. minicomputer system in 1979...
. Steven Rooks
Steven Rooks
Steven Rooks is a former Dutch professional road racing cyclist known for his climbing ability. His professional career ran from 1982–1995.- Tour de France :...
left the team, Raúl Alcalá
Raul Alcala
Raúl Alcalá is a professional road racing cyclist, who competed between 1985 and 1999 and again in 2008. In 1986, Alcalá became the first Mexican cyclist to compete in the Tour de France. In the 1987 Tour de France, he received the Maillot blanc, awarded to the best rider under 25...
joined the team. Still, the 1993 season did not turn out a great season, with only 29 victories, the most important being Three Days of De Panne
Three Days of De Panne
The Three Days of De Panne is a mid-week, three-day stage race before the Ronde van Vlaanderen in De Panne in West Flanders, Belgium. It is rated 2.HC by the UCI and is part of the UCI Europe Tour.- Winners :...
and the Tour DuPont
Tour DuPont
The Tour DuPont was a cycling stage race in the United States held between 1991 and 1996. It was intended to become a North American cycling event similar in format and prestige to the Tour de France. The tour's name came from its sponsor, DuPont...
.
In 1993 and 1994, Michael Boogerd
Michael Boogerd
Michael Boogerd is a Dutch former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the leaders of a generation of Dutch cyclists in the late 1990s and early 2000s, together with teammate Erik Dekker, even inspiring Dutch authors to write a book called "Michael & Erik" about this generation, and the...
and Leon van Bon
Léon van Bon
Léon Hendrik Jan van Bon is a road racing cyclist from the Netherlands, who won the silver medal in the men's points race at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He won his first major race at the professionals in 1998, winning the HEW Cyclassics...
started their professional career in the team, and Viatcheslav Ekimov
Viatcheslav Ekimov
Viatcheslav Vladimirovich Ekimov , nicknamed Eki, is a Russian former professional racing cyclist...
also came. The Tour du Pont was won again, together with the Tour of Luxembourg. The year still was disappointing with only 25 victories.
Novell Software-Decca (1995)
In 1995, the team was joined by Djamolidine AbdoujaparovDjamolidine Abdoujaparov
Djamolidine Abdoujaparov is a former professional road racing cyclist from Uzbekistan. Abdoujaparov was a sprinter, nicknamed "The Tashkent Terror" as he was so ferocious in the sprints...
, the winner of the points classification
Points classification in the Tour de France
The points classification in the Tour de France is a secondary competition in the Tour de France, that started in 1953. Points are given for high finishes in a stage and for winning intermediate sprints, and these are recorded in a points classification. It is considered a sprinters' competition...
in the 1994 Tour de France
1994 Tour de France
The 1994 Tour de France was the 81st Tour de France and included two stages in England , Stage 4, Dover to Brighton and Stage 5, around Portsmouth. It took place July 2 to July 24, 1994...
. Abdoujaparov won one stage in the Tour de France
1995 Tour de France
The 1995 Tour de France was the 82nd Tour de France, taking place July 1 to July 23, 1995. It was Miguel Indurain's fifth and final victory in the Tour. On the fifteenth stage Italian rider Fabio Casartelli died after an accident on the Col de Portet d'Aspet....
, but other than that, the year was still not what the sponsors had hoped, so a new sponsor had to be found. The title sponsor of the previous two years, WordPerfect, was a product of Novell Software, which carried the team's name this one season.
Rabobank (1996–present)
Raas became the team manager of the Rabobank team while Theo de Rooy, Adrie van Houwelingen and Zoetemelk were directeur sportifDirecteur sportif
A directeur sportif is a person directing a cycling team during a road bicycle racing event...
s. As a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
cycling team
Cycling team
A cycling team is a group of cyclists who join a team or are acquired and train together to compete in bicycle races whether recreational or professional - and the supporting personnel...
, the team has signed many of the prominent Dutch cyclists of the 1990s including Adrie van der Poel, Richard Groenendaal
Richard Groenendaal
Richard Marinus Anthonius Groenendaal is a Dutch professional cyclo-cross cyclist who rides for the AA Drink team...
and Erik Breukink
Erik Breukink
Erik Breukink is a former professional road racing cyclist. In 1988, Breukink won the youth competition in the Tour de France. In 1990, Breukink reached the podium in Paris, finishing 3rd in the 1990 Tour de France...
as well as keeping the prominent Dutch cyclists from the Novell team that included Leon van Bon
Léon van Bon
Léon Hendrik Jan van Bon is a road racing cyclist from the Netherlands, who won the silver medal in the men's points race at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He won his first major race at the professionals in 1998, winning the HEW Cyclassics...
, Erik Dekker
Erik Dekker
Hendrik "Erik" Dekker is a retired Dutch professional road racing cyclist active from 1992 until 2006. He was a member of the Rabobank cycling team from 1996 till 2006. In 2007 he became one of Rabobank's team managers.-Amateur career:...
and Michael Boogerd
Michael Boogerd
Michael Boogerd is a Dutch former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the leaders of a generation of Dutch cyclists in the late 1990s and early 2000s, together with teammate Erik Dekker, even inspiring Dutch authors to write a book called "Michael & Erik" about this generation, and the...
. In addition the team had many successful cyclists in Edwig van Hooydonck
Edwig van Hooydonck
Edwig Van Hooydonck is a former professional road racing cyclist from Belgium. He won the prestigious Ronde van Vlaanderen twice and Brabantse Pijl four times. He retired from professional cycling because he felt he could no longer compete with other cyclists, who were at the time starting to dope...
, Rolf Sorensen, Johan Bruyneel
Johan Bruyneel
Johan Bruyneel is a former road bicycle racer in professional cycling and a directeur sportif for UCI ProTour team . Retiring from racing in 1998, he became director of , a US-based UCI ProTour cycling team...
and the neo-pro for the 1996 season Australian Robbie McEwen
Robbie McEwen
Robbie McEwen is an Australian professional road bicycle racer, for on the UCI ProTour, specializing in sprint finishes...
.
The Rabobank team has dominated the Dutch National championships over several disciplines in cycling for example Elite and Under 23 time trial championships, Elite and Under 23 Road Race, Elite and Under 23 Cyclo-cross disciplines as well as Mountain Bike championships.
The team also has had the World Champion in several categories for example Cyclo-cross; in 1996 Adrie van der Poel, in 2000 Richard Groenendaal
Richard Groenendaal
Richard Marinus Anthonius Groenendaal is a Dutch professional cyclo-cross cyclist who rides for the AA Drink team...
and in 2004 Sven Nys
Sven Nys
Sven Nys is a professional cyclist who has won his most important victories in cyclo-cross races.Nys began racing BMX at the age of 8...
. Óscar Freire
Óscar Freire
Óscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
became UCI Road World Champion in 2004. Sven Nys
Sven Nys
Sven Nys is a professional cyclist who has won his most important victories in cyclo-cross races.Nys began racing BMX at the age of 8...
, Thijs Verhagen and Lars Boom
Lars Boom
Lars Anthonius Johannes Boom is a professional cyclo-cross and road racing cyclist who was born in Vlijmen in the Netherlands. Boom rides for UCI ProTeam Rabobank cycling team, having previous ridden for the junior and continental teams. Boom won the cyclo-cross world championships in 2008...
were Under 23 Cyclo-cross World Champions in 1997, 2002 and 2007 respectively while Boom was became Under 23 World Time trial champion in 2007.
In the 2000 Cyclo-cross World championships there was a conflict between the commercial team interests and the national team interests. Groenendaal attacked during the first lap and was chased by defending cyclo-cross world champion Mario De Clercq
Mario De Clercq
Mario De Clercq is a former racing cyclist. He specialized in cyclo-cross racing but also rode on the road and circuit races during his career, he raced as a professional between 1991 and 2004...
who was followed by Groenendaal's Rabobank teammate Sven Nys
Sven Nys
Sven Nys is a professional cyclist who has won his most important victories in cyclo-cross races.Nys began racing BMX at the age of 8...
. Team manager Jan Raas
Jan Raas
Jan Raas is a Dutch former professional cyclist whose 115 wins include the 1979 World Road Race Championship in Valkenburg, he also won the Ronde van Vlaanderen in 1979 and 1983, Paris–Roubaix in 1982 and Milan – San Remo in 1977. He won ten stages in the Tour de France...
allegedly told Nys not to cooperate in the chase of his commercial teammate and as a result De Clercq never caught Groenendaal enabling Groenendaal to become World Champion. As a result, Nys received much criticism from the Belgian team manager Erik De Vlaeminck as well as the Belgian public.
Jan Raas
Jan Raas
Jan Raas is a Dutch former professional cyclist whose 115 wins include the 1979 World Road Race Championship in Valkenburg, he also won the Ronde van Vlaanderen in 1979 and 1983, Paris–Roubaix in 1982 and Milan – San Remo in 1977. He won ten stages in the Tour de France...
was the team manager for the first eight years of the teams existence. In 2003 Raas was removed rather abruptly which surprised the other members of staff including Theo De Rooy as well as riders Erik Dekker
Erik Dekker
Hendrik "Erik" Dekker is a retired Dutch professional road racing cyclist active from 1992 until 2006. He was a member of the Rabobank cycling team from 1996 till 2006. In 2007 he became one of Rabobank's team managers.-Amateur career:...
and Michael Boogerd
Michael Boogerd
Michael Boogerd is a Dutch former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the leaders of a generation of Dutch cyclists in the late 1990s and early 2000s, together with teammate Erik Dekker, even inspiring Dutch authors to write a book called "Michael & Erik" about this generation, and the...
. De Rooy was promoted to team manager and a former Rabobank rider who had been at that time working as a PR man for Rabobank, Erik Breukink
Erik Breukink
Erik Breukink is a former professional road racing cyclist. In 1988, Breukink won the youth competition in the Tour de France. In 1990, Breukink reached the podium in Paris, finishing 3rd in the 1990 Tour de France...
, was named as the new directeur sportif
Directeur sportif
A directeur sportif is a person directing a cycling team during a road bicycle racing event...
to replace De Rooy. In August 2007 in the aftermath of the affair in which Michael Rasmussen
Michael Rasmussen
Michael Rasmussen is a Danish professional road bicycle racer who rides for the Danish team Christina Watches-Onfone. In the 2007 Tour de France, Rasmussen, while in the yellow jersey, had his contract terminated by his team and was removed from the Tour...
was removed during the 2007 Tour de France
2007 Tour de France
The 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
, De Rooij resigned from his position as team manager.
Road Racing team
The road racing team has won several ClassicsClassic cycle races
The classic cycle races are one-day professional cycling road races in the international calendar. Most of the events, all run in western Europe, have been fixtures on the professional calendar for decades and the oldest ones date back to the 19th Century. They are normally held at roughly the same...
such as the Ronde van Vlaanderen in 1997, Championship of Hamburg in 1998, the Amstel Gold Race
Amstel Gold Race
The Amstel Gold Race is a road bicycle race held in the southern part of the province of Limburg, Netherlands. Since 1989 it has been among the races included in season long rankings tables, as part of the UCI Road World Cup , the UCI ProTour , UCI World Ranking and from 2011 the UCI World Tour...
in 1999 and 2001, Paris–Tours in 1999, 2004 and 2010, Clásica de San Sebastián
Clásica de San Sebastián
The Donostia-Donostia Klasikoa - Clásica San Sebastián-San Sebastián is a cycle race that has been held every summer since 1981 in San Sebastián, Spain...
in 2000 and Milan – San Remo in 2004, 2007 and 2010. Erik Dekker
Erik Dekker
Hendrik "Erik" Dekker is a retired Dutch professional road racing cyclist active from 1992 until 2006. He was a member of the Rabobank cycling team from 1996 till 2006. In 2007 he became one of Rabobank's team managers.-Amateur career:...
won the UCI World Cup in 2001 due to his Classic win and high placings in many of the classics.
Rabobank becoming a Grand Tour team
Levi Leipheimer
Levi Leipheimer is an American professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . His major results are winning the 2007–2009 editions of the Tour of California, the 2006 Dauphiné Libéré and the 2005 Deutschland Tour, coming in second in the 2008 Vuelta a España, third in the 2001 Vuelta a...
in 2002 as a rider for the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
. Leipheimer finished eighth in his first Tour but crashed out of the race on the first stage of the 2003 Tour de France
2003 Tour de France
The 2003 Tour de France started and ended in Paris. Lasting from July 5 to July 27 the race covered 3,427.5 km , proceeding clockwise in twenty stages around France, including six major mountain stages...
. Leipheimer finished ninth overall the following year. The team became more of a Grand Tour team as could be seen by Michael Rasmussen
Michael Rasmussen
Michael Rasmussen is a Danish professional road bicycle racer who rides for the Danish team Christina Watches-Onfone. In the 2007 Tour de France, Rasmussen, while in the yellow jersey, had his contract terminated by his team and was removed from the Tour...
's win in the Mountains Classification of the 2005 Tour de France
2005 Tour de France
The 2005 Tour de France was the 92nd Tour de France, taking place from July 2 to July 24, 2005. It comprised 21 stages over 3592.5 km, the winner's average speed was 41.654 km/h. The first stages were held in the département of the Vendée, for the third time in 12 years. The 2005 Tour was...
. When Denis Menchov
Denis Menchov
Denis Nikolayevich Menchov , born 25 January 1978 in Oryol, is a professional Russian road bicycle racer for . He is a general classification rider and a climber. In 2005 he won the Vuelta a España, which he won for a second time in 2007...
took the lead in the 2005 Vuelta a España, he was not expecting to be competing for the overall classification The Rabobank team at that year's Vuelta were not seen as particularly strong or able to assist Menchov in the mountain stages. Menchov finished second to Roberto Heras
Roberto Heras
Roberto Heras Hernández is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer who won the Vuelta a España a record-tying three times. He broke the record with a fourth win in 2005, but was disqualified for taking EPO. In June 2011, Heras successfully appealed the disqualification in the civil court...
which was the highest placing of a Rabobank team rider at a grand tour after Michael Boogerd
Michael Boogerd
Michael Boogerd is a Dutch former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the leaders of a generation of Dutch cyclists in the late 1990s and early 2000s, together with teammate Erik Dekker, even inspiring Dutch authors to write a book called "Michael & Erik" about this generation, and the...
's fifth place in the 1998 Tour de France
1998 Tour de France
The 1998 Tour de France, also called the Tour du Dopage , was marred by doping scandals throughout known as the Festina affair, starting with the arrest of Willy Voet, a soigneur in the French Festina team. Voet was traveling into France when he was arrested and found with large quantities of...
. Heras was later disqualified for doping and Menchov was made the winner. The following year Menchov focused on the Tour de France where the team rode strongly with Menchov, Boogerd and Rasmussen.
During the 2007 Tour de France
2007 Tour de France
The 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
, Rabobank fired Michael Rasmussen
Michael Rasmussen
Michael Rasmussen is a Danish professional road bicycle racer who rides for the Danish team Christina Watches-Onfone. In the 2007 Tour de France, Rasmussen, while in the yellow jersey, had his contract terminated by his team and was removed from the Tour...
(2005 Tour de France
2005 Tour de France
The 2005 Tour de France was the 92nd Tour de France, taking place from July 2 to July 24, 2005. It comprised 21 stages over 3592.5 km, the winner's average speed was 41.654 km/h. The first stages were held in the département of the Vendée, for the third time in 12 years. The 2005 Tour was...
, 2006 Tour de France
2006 Tour de France
The 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 23, 2006. It was won by Óscar Pereiro following the disqualification of apparent winner Floyd Landis....
K.O.M.
King of the Mountains
The King of the Mountains is the title given to the best climber in a cycling road race; usually and officially known as the Mountains classification...
) for code-violations while he was in the yellow jersey
Yellow jersey
The general classification in the Tour de France is the most important classification, the one by which the winner of the Tour de France is determined. Since 1919, the leader of the general classification wears the yellow jersey .-History:...
. The remaining riders of the Rabobank team were given the choice to start the 17th stage without Michael Rasmussen, or to withdraw. That evening they decided to withdraw, but the team changed its mind and announced the following morning that the riders would be starting the 17th stage. Although he started with the rest of the team, Denis Menchov
Denis Menchov
Denis Nikolayevich Menchov , born 25 January 1978 in Oryol, is a professional Russian road bicycle racer for . He is a general classification rider and a climber. In 2005 he won the Vuelta a España, which he won for a second time in 2007...
(team leader on the road, who deferred to Rasmussen when the latter seemed to have a better chance at winning) abandoned the race in the middle of the stage.
The Rabobank team was invited for the 2008 Tour de France
2008 Tour de France
The 2008 Tour de France was the 95th Tour de France. The event took place from 5–27 July 2008. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regular final destination, which was reached in the 21st stage...
. Denis Menchov had decided to focus on the Tour de France. To do that, he did not defend his Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
-title, and rode the 2008 Giro d'Italia
2008 Giro d'Italia
The 2008 Giro d'Italia was the 91st running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It began in Palermo on 10 May and ended in Milan on 1 June. Twenty-two teams entered the race, which was won by Spaniard Alberto Contador of the cycling team...
as preparation for the Tour de France. Menchov finished 4th place in the 2008 Tour de France
2008 Tour de France
The 2008 Tour de France was the 95th Tour de France. The event took place from 5–27 July 2008. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regular final destination, which was reached in the 21st stage...
, and Óscar Freire
Óscar Freire
Óscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
won the points classification
Points classification
The points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning intermediate sprints. The points classification is the top prize for many cycling sprinters and therefore is often known as the Sprint Classification;...
. The team had to wait until 2009 for the first successes in the Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
, when Denis Menchov
Denis Menchov
Denis Nikolayevich Menchov , born 25 January 1978 in Oryol, is a professional Russian road bicycle racer for . He is a general classification rider and a climber. In 2005 he won the Vuelta a España, which he won for a second time in 2007...
won two stages; a mountain finish and a time trial. This second win earned him the pink leader jersey, which the team defended to the end of the race, earning Menchov, and Rabobank, their third Grand Tour GC win.
Cyclo-Cross team
The Rabobank cyclo-cross team has dominated the sport in the past with Sven NysSven Nys
Sven Nys is a professional cyclist who has won his most important victories in cyclo-cross races.Nys began racing BMX at the age of 8...
and Richard Groenendaal
Richard Groenendaal
Richard Marinus Anthonius Groenendaal is a Dutch professional cyclo-cross cyclist who rides for the AA Drink team...
winning the General Classification competitions such as the Superprestige, the World Cup and the Gazet van Anwerpen trophy over the last eight years. Groenendaal dominated the Dutch cyclo-cross championships for many years. Groenendaal left the team after the 2006–2007 season. He was at that time one of the few remaining Rabobank riders from the 1996 team. Lars Boom
Lars Boom
Lars Anthonius Johannes Boom is a professional cyclo-cross and road racing cyclist who was born in Vlijmen in the Netherlands. Boom rides for UCI ProTeam Rabobank cycling team, having previous ridden for the junior and continental teams. Boom won the cyclo-cross world championships in 2008...
joined the team in 2002 as a junior cyclo-cross rider and has already achieved success in the Elite cyclo-cross championships as well as showing promise riding in the UCI Europe Tour with the Rabobank Continental team.
Major results (since 1996)
In 2002, the Rabobank cycling team was split into the normal team and the GS3 team, for cyclo-cross and young talents. In 2005 it was renamed to the Continental team.Since 1996, the team won 1796 races, of which 491 were won in the (UCI) ProTour, and 362 in the cyclo-cross protour.
- 1996: 55 UCI Road World Cup, 25 Cyclo-cross
- 1997: 43 UCI Road World Cup, 27 Cyclo-cross
- 1998: 45 UCI Road World Cup, 24 Cyclo-cross
- 1999: 50 UCI Road World Cup, 32 Cyclo-cross
- 2000: 34 UCI Road World Cup, 23 Cyclo-cross
- 2001: 38 UCI Road World Cup, 19 Cyclo-cross
- 2002: 39 UCI Road World Cup, 26 Cyclo-cross
- 2003: 27 UCI Road World Cup, 20 Cyclo-cross
- 2004: 32 UCI Road World Cup, 27 Cyclo-cross
- 2005: 38 UCI ProTourUCI ProTourThe UCI ProTour was a series of road bicycle races in Europe, Australia and Canada organised by the UCI . Created by Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI, it comprises a number of 'ProTour' cycling teams, each of whom are required to compete in every round of the series...
, 47 Cyclo-cross - 2006: 43 UCI ProTour, 46 Cyclo-cross
- 2007: 47 UCI ProTour, 39 Cyclo-cross
World Championships
- 1996: Adrie van der Poel (cyclo-cross)
- 1998: Sven NysSven NysSven Nys is a professional cyclist who has won his most important victories in cyclo-cross races.Nys began racing BMX at the age of 8...
(cyclo-cross U23) - 2000: Richard GroenendaalRichard GroenendaalRichard Marinus Anthonius Groenendaal is a Dutch professional cyclo-cross cyclist who rides for the AA Drink team...
(cyclo-cross) - 2002: Thijs Verhagen (cyclo-cross U23)
- 2004: Óscar FreireÓscar FreireÓscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
(road race) - 2005: Sven NysSven NysSven Nys is a professional cyclist who has won his most important victories in cyclo-cross races.Nys began racing BMX at the age of 8...
(cyclo-cross) - 2007: Lars BoomLars BoomLars Anthonius Johannes Boom is a professional cyclo-cross and road racing cyclist who was born in Vlijmen in the Netherlands. Boom rides for UCI ProTeam Rabobank cycling team, having previous ridden for the junior and continental teams. Boom won the cyclo-cross world championships in 2008...
(cyclo-cross U23) - 2007: Lars BoomLars BoomLars Anthonius Johannes Boom is a professional cyclo-cross and road racing cyclist who was born in Vlijmen in the Netherlands. Boom rides for UCI ProTeam Rabobank cycling team, having previous ridden for the junior and continental teams. Boom won the cyclo-cross world championships in 2008...
(time trial U23) - 2008: Lars BoomLars BoomLars Anthonius Johannes Boom is a professional cyclo-cross and road racing cyclist who was born in Vlijmen in the Netherlands. Boom rides for UCI ProTeam Rabobank cycling team, having previous ridden for the junior and continental teams. Boom won the cyclo-cross world championships in 2008...
(cyclo-cross)
Tour de France wins
- 1998 Tour de France1998 Tour de FranceThe 1998 Tour de France, also called the Tour du Dopage , was marred by doping scandals throughout known as the Festina affair, starting with the arrest of Willy Voet, a soigneur in the French Festina team. Voet was traveling into France when he was arrested and found with large quantities of...
:
-
- Stage 9 Leon van BonLéon van BonLéon Hendrik Jan van Bon is a road racing cyclist from the Netherlands, who won the silver medal in the men's points race at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He won his first major race at the professionals in 1998, winning the HEW Cyclassics...
- 1999 Tour de France1999 Tour de FranceThe 1999 Tour de France was the 86th Tour de France, taking place from July 3 to July 25, 1999. It was won by Lance Armstrong, his first of 7 consecutive wins, the most in Tour history. There were no French stage winners for the first time since the 1926 Tour de France.The 1999 edition of Tour de...
:
- 1999 Tour de France
- Stage 20 Robbie McEwenRobbie McEwenRobbie McEwen is an Australian professional road bicycle racer, for on the UCI ProTour, specializing in sprint finishes...
- 2000 Tour de France2000 Tour de FranceThe 2000 Tour de France was the 87th Tour de France, and took place from July 1 to July 23, 2000. It was won by American cyclist Lance Armstrong. The Tour started with an individual time trial in Futuroscope and ended traditionally in Paris. The distance travelled was 3662.5 km...
:
- 2000 Tour de France
- Stage 6 Leon van BonLéon van BonLéon Hendrik Jan van Bon is a road racing cyclist from the Netherlands, who won the silver medal in the men's points race at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He won his first major race at the professionals in 1998, winning the HEW Cyclassics...
- Stage 8 Erik DekkerErik DekkerHendrik "Erik" Dekker is a retired Dutch professional road racing cyclist active from 1992 until 2006. He was a member of the Rabobank cycling team from 1996 till 2006. In 2007 he became one of Rabobank's team managers.-Amateur career:...
- Stage 11 Erik DekkerErik DekkerHendrik "Erik" Dekker is a retired Dutch professional road racing cyclist active from 1992 until 2006. He was a member of the Rabobank cycling team from 1996 till 2006. In 2007 he became one of Rabobank's team managers.-Amateur career:...
- Stage 17 Erik DekkerErik DekkerHendrik "Erik" Dekker is a retired Dutch professional road racing cyclist active from 1992 until 2006. He was a member of the Rabobank cycling team from 1996 till 2006. In 2007 he became one of Rabobank's team managers.-Amateur career:...
- 2001 Tour de France2001 Tour de FranceThe 2001 Tour de France was particularly difficult, having contained a 67-km long team time trial, two individual time trials and five mountain-top finishes on consecutive days, the second of which being the Chamrousse special category climb time trial. Thus, all the high-mountain stages were...
:
- 2001 Tour de France
- Stage 2 Marc WautersMarc WautersMarc Wauters is a former Belgian cyclist who was professional from 1991 until 2006. The 2004 Olympian, nicknamed The Soldier was a member of the Rabobank cycling team of the UCI ProTour since 1998 and had to end his career several weeks short because of a broken collarbone which he suffered during...
- Stage 8 Erik DekkerErik DekkerHendrik "Erik" Dekker is a retired Dutch professional road racing cyclist active from 1992 until 2006. He was a member of the Rabobank cycling team from 1996 till 2006. In 2007 he became one of Rabobank's team managers.-Amateur career:...
- 2002 Tour de France2002 Tour de FranceThe 2002 Tour de France started in Luxembourg on July 6, 2002, and ended in Paris on July 28. France was visited counter-clockwise, so the Pyrenees were there before the Alps...
:
- 2002 Tour de France
- Stage 8 Karsten Kroon
- Stage 16 Michael BoogerdMichael BoogerdMichael Boogerd is a Dutch former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the leaders of a generation of Dutch cyclists in the late 1990s and early 2000s, together with teammate Erik Dekker, even inspiring Dutch authors to write a book called "Michael & Erik" about this generation, and the...
- 2005 Tour de France2005 Tour de FranceThe 2005 Tour de France was the 92nd Tour de France, taking place from July 2 to July 24, 2005. It comprised 21 stages over 3592.5 km, the winner's average speed was 41.654 km/h. The first stages were held in the département of the Vendée, for the third time in 12 years. The 2005 Tour was...
:
- 2005 Tour de France
- Stage 8 Pieter WeeningPieter WeeningPieter Weening is a road bicycle racer from Harkema, Friesland, the Netherlands, currently riding for .-2005:In 2005 Weening won a stage in the Tour de France. As of today, Weening is the last Dutch stage winner in the Tour de France. After one of the closest finishes in the Tour ever, Weening won...
- Stage 9 Michael RasmussenMichael RasmussenMichael Rasmussen is a Danish professional road bicycle racer who rides for the Danish team Christina Watches-Onfone. In the 2007 Tour de France, Rasmussen, while in the yellow jersey, had his contract terminated by his team and was removed from the Tour...
- Mountains Classification: Michael RasmussenMichael RasmussenMichael Rasmussen is a Danish professional road bicycle racer who rides for the Danish team Christina Watches-Onfone. In the 2007 Tour de France, Rasmussen, while in the yellow jersey, had his contract terminated by his team and was removed from the Tour...
- 2006 Tour de France2006 Tour de FranceThe 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 23, 2006. It was won by Óscar Pereiro following the disqualification of apparent winner Floyd Landis....
:
- 2006 Tour de France
- Stage 5 Óscar FreireÓscar FreireÓscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
- Stage 9 Óscar FreireÓscar FreireÓscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
- Stage 11 Denis MenchovDenis MenchovDenis Nikolayevich Menchov , born 25 January 1978 in Oryol, is a professional Russian road bicycle racer for . He is a general classification rider and a climber. In 2005 he won the Vuelta a España, which he won for a second time in 2007...
- Stage 16 Michael RasmussenMichael RasmussenMichael Rasmussen is a Danish professional road bicycle racer who rides for the Danish team Christina Watches-Onfone. In the 2007 Tour de France, Rasmussen, while in the yellow jersey, had his contract terminated by his team and was removed from the Tour...
- Mountains Classification: Michael RasmussenMichael RasmussenMichael Rasmussen is a Danish professional road bicycle racer who rides for the Danish team Christina Watches-Onfone. In the 2007 Tour de France, Rasmussen, while in the yellow jersey, had his contract terminated by his team and was removed from the Tour...
- 2007 Tour de France2007 Tour de FranceThe 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
:
- 2007 Tour de France
- Stage 8 Michael RasmussenMichael RasmussenMichael Rasmussen is a Danish professional road bicycle racer who rides for the Danish team Christina Watches-Onfone. In the 2007 Tour de France, Rasmussen, while in the yellow jersey, had his contract terminated by his team and was removed from the Tour...
- Stage 16 Michael RasmussenMichael RasmussenMichael Rasmussen is a Danish professional road bicycle racer who rides for the Danish team Christina Watches-Onfone. In the 2007 Tour de France, Rasmussen, while in the yellow jersey, had his contract terminated by his team and was removed from the Tour...
- 2008 Tour de France2008 Tour de FranceThe 2008 Tour de France was the 95th Tour de France. The event took place from 5–27 July 2008. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regular final destination, which was reached in the 21st stage...
:
- 2008 Tour de France
- Stage 14 Óscar FreireÓscar FreireÓscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
- Sprint Classification: Óscar FreireÓscar FreireÓscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
- 2009 Tour de France2009 Tour de FranceThe 2009 Tour de France was the 96th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on 4 July in the principality of Monaco with a individual time trial which included a section of the Circuit de Monaco...
:
- 2009 Tour de France
- Stage 20 Juan Manuel GárateJuan Manuel GárateJuan Manuel Gárate Cepa is a Spanish professional road racing cyclist. He currently rides for the Rabobank team. He is perceived to be a climbing specialist, and to date his greatest achievements have been in the Giro d'Italia, where he placed fourth overall in 2002, fifth overall in 2005 and won...
- 20112011 Tour de France-Pre-race favourites:2010 winner Alberto Contador was suspended from cycling during a doping investigation from September 2010 to February 2011, during which time 2010 runner-up Andy Schleck was regarded as the favourite. When the suspension was lifted, Contador declared his desire to compete in...
:
- 2011
- Stage 9 Luis León SánchezLuis León SánchezLuis León Sánchez Gil is a Spanish road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He is also known as Lulu Sanchez. He rode for team Liberty Seguros-Würth from 2004 until 2006, when he moved to the Caisse d'Epargne team following the collapse of the Liberty Seguros-Würth team in the wake of the Operación...
- Stage 9 Leon van Bon
National road race champions
- 1997:
- 1998:
- 1999:
- 2000:
- 2000:
- 2004:
- 2006:
- 2007:
- 2008: (officially a rider of Rabobank Continental Team)
- 2009:
National time trial champions
- 1996:
- 1997:
- 1998:
- 1998:
- 1998:
- 2000:
- 2002:
- 2002:
- 2003:
- 2003:
- 2004:
- 2004:
- 2005:
- 2005:
- 2008: (officially a rider of Rabobank Continental Team)
- 2009:
- 2010:
- 2011:
- 2011:
Other notable races
- 1st, UCI Road World Cup (2001): Erik DekkerErik DekkerHendrik "Erik" Dekker is a retired Dutch professional road racing cyclist active from 1992 until 2006. He was a member of the Rabobank cycling team from 1996 till 2006. In 2007 he became one of Rabobank's team managers.-Amateur career:...
- 1st, General Classification, 2005 Vuelta a España : Denis MenchovDenis MenchovDenis Nikolayevich Menchov , born 25 January 1978 in Oryol, is a professional Russian road bicycle racer for . He is a general classification rider and a climber. In 2005 he won the Vuelta a España, which he won for a second time in 2007...
- 1st, General Classification, 2007 Vuelta a España2007 Vuelta a EspañaThe 2007 Vuelta a España, the sixty-second edition of the cycle race, took place from September 1 until September 23, 2007. For the first time in a decade, the race started in the region of Galicia, at Vigo, home to Óscar Pereiro, with a flat stage...
: Denis MenchovDenis MenchovDenis Nikolayevich Menchov , born 25 January 1978 in Oryol, is a professional Russian road bicycle racer for . He is a general classification rider and a climber. In 2005 he won the Vuelta a España, which he won for a second time in 2007... - 1st, General Classification, 2009 Giro d'Italia2009 Giro d'ItaliaThe 2009 Giro d'Italia was the 92nd running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It was held from 9 to 31 May 2009, and marked the 100th year since the first edition of the race...
: Denis MenchovDenis MenchovDenis Nikolayevich Menchov , born 25 January 1978 in Oryol, is a professional Russian road bicycle racer for . He is a general classification rider and a climber. In 2005 he won the Vuelta a España, which he won for a second time in 2007... - 1st, General Classification, 2002 Tirreno–Adriatico : Erik DekkerErik DekkerHendrik "Erik" Dekker is a retired Dutch professional road racing cyclist active from 1992 until 2006. He was a member of the Rabobank cycling team from 1996 till 2006. In 2007 he became one of Rabobank's team managers.-Amateur career:...
- 1st, General Classification, 2005 Tirreno–Adriatico : Óscar FreireÓscar FreireÓscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
- 1st, General Classification, 2006 Tirreno–Adriatico : Thomas DekkerThomas Dekker (cyclist)Thomas Dekker is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for Garmin-Cervélo’s development team, Chipotle Development Team. His career highlights include winning Tirreno-Adriatico in 2006 and Tour de Romandie in 2007...
- 1st, General Classification, 2007 Tour de Romandie2007 Tour de RomandieThe 2007 Tour de Romandie served as the 59th edition of this event now held on the 2007 UCI ProTour. The stage race was held from May 1 through May 6, 2007 in the French speaking area of Switzerland known as Romandy...
: Thomas DekkerThomas Dekker (cyclist)Thomas Dekker is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for Garmin-Cervélo’s development team, Chipotle Development Team. His career highlights include winning Tirreno-Adriatico in 2006 and Tour de Romandie in 2007...
2007
- Trofeo Mallorca
- Óscar FreireÓscar FreireÓscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
- Óscar Freire
- Trofeo Pollença
- Thomas DekkerThomas Dekker (cyclist)Thomas Dekker is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for Garmin-Cervélo’s development team, Chipotle Development Team. His career highlights include winning Tirreno-Adriatico in 2006 and Tour de Romandie in 2007...
- Thomas Dekker
- Vuelta a AndalucíaVuelta a AndalucíaThe Vuelta a Andalucía or Ruta del Sol is a regional Spanish road bicycle race. Since 2005, it has been a 2.1 category race on the UCI Europe Tour....
- Óscar FreireÓscar FreireÓscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
– Overall, Stage 2, 5 and points classification - Max van HeeswijkMax van HeeswijkMax Lambert Peter van Heeswijk is a Dutch retired professional road racing cyclist.- Major achievements :2000...
– Stage 3
- Óscar Freire
- Tour of California
- Graeme BrownGraeme BrownGraeme Allen Brown OAM is a professional cyclist and dual Olympic gold medallist from Australia.-Cycling career - road and track:...
– Stage 1
- Graeme Brown
- Vuelta a MurciaVuelta a MurciaThe Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia is a road bicycle race held in and around Murcia, Spain. The race consists of a men's competition over five stages and is part of the UCI Europe Tour as a 2.1 event. The first four editions were reserved to amateurs....
- Graeme BrownGraeme BrownGraeme Allen Brown OAM is a professional cyclist and dual Olympic gold medallist from Australia.-Cycling career - road and track:...
– Stage 3
- Graeme Brown
- Nokere-KoerseNokere-KoerseNokere Koerse is a European semi classic single day cycle race held in the Belgian region of Flanders. Since 2005, the race has been organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour....
- Leon van BonLéon van BonLéon Hendrik Jan van Bon is a road racing cyclist from the Netherlands, who won the silver medal in the men's points race at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He won his first major race at the professionals in 1998, winning the HEW Cyclassics...
- Leon van Bon
- Milan – San Remo
- Óscar FreireÓscar FreireÓscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
- Óscar Freire
- Brabantse PijlBrabantse PijlThe Brabantse Pijl is a Flanders Classics road bicycle race held annually in Flemish Brabant, Belgium. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. In 2011, it was upgraded to a 1.HC event...
- Óscar FreireÓscar FreireÓscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
- Óscar Freire
- Tour de Romandie2007 Tour de RomandieThe 2007 Tour de Romandie served as the 59th edition of this event now held on the 2007 UCI ProTour. The stage race was held from May 1 through May 6, 2007 in the French speaking area of Switzerland known as Romandy...
- Thomas DekkerThomas Dekker (cyclist)Thomas Dekker is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for Garmin-Cervélo’s development team, Chipotle Development Team. His career highlights include winning Tirreno-Adriatico in 2006 and Tour de Romandie in 2007...
– Overall, Stage 5
- Thomas Dekker
- Volta a Catalunya2007 Volta a CatalunyaThe 2007 Volta a Catalunya road cycling race took place from May 21 to May 27, 2007, in Catalonia. It began in Salou with a team time trial and ends in Barcelona. The race was won by Russian Vladimir Karpets of the team, who won the race thanks to winning the team time trial, and second placings...
- Denis MenchovDenis MenchovDenis Nikolayevich Menchov , born 25 January 1978 in Oryol, is a professional Russian road bicycle racer for . He is a general classification rider and a climber. In 2005 he won the Vuelta a España, which he won for a second time in 2007...
– Stage 5
- Denis Menchov
- Tour de Belgique
- Robert GesinkRobert GesinkRobert Gesink is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank.-Early years:At the Junior World Championships of 2004 UCI Road World Championships in Verona, Gesink finished eighth in the individual time trial and sixth in the road race, while riding for team De Peddelaars in...
– Stage 4
- Robert Gesink
- Tour de Suisse2007 Tour de SuisseThe 2007 Tour de Suisse, the 71st edition of the cycle race, took place from June 16 until June 24. As usual, the race began with a short prologue and featured a long individual time trial. Besides, riders also had to face several mountain stages in the Swiss Alps, including the Grimselpass, a 12.1...
- Thomas DekkerThomas Dekker (cyclist)Thomas Dekker is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for Garmin-Cervélo’s development team, Chipotle Development Team. His career highlights include winning Tirreno-Adriatico in 2006 and Tour de Romandie in 2007...
– Stage 5
- Thomas Dekker
- Ster ElektrotoerSter ElektrotoerThe Ster ZLM Toer is a stage race cycling race, held in the Netherlands as 2.1 race on the UCI Europe Tour. The race started in 1987 as an amateur race, and became a race for professional cyclists in 1996.-Name of the race:...
- Sebastian LangeveldSebastian LangeveldSebastian Langeveld is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank. His biggest win is Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in 2011. On the 17 of August 2011, Langeveld was confirmed to be riding for Australian team GreenEdge in 2012.- Palmarès :2006...
– Overall
- Sebastian Langeveld
- Tour de France2007 Tour de FranceThe 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
- Michael RasmussenMichael RasmussenMichael Rasmussen is a Danish professional road bicycle racer who rides for the Danish team Christina Watches-Onfone. In the 2007 Tour de France, Rasmussen, while in the yellow jersey, had his contract terminated by his team and was removed from the Tour...
– Stage 8, 17
- Michael Rasmussen
- Sachsen-Tour International
- Joost PosthumaJoost PosthumaJoost Posthuma is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer. He rides on the UCI ProTour for the professional cycling team...
– Overall, Stage 4
- Joost Posthuma
- Danmark RundtDanmark RundtDanmark Rundt is a Danish stage race for professional road bicycle racers organized as a part of the UCI Continental Circuits. It is currently sponsored by the Danish national postal agency, Post Danmark, and the race is therefore also known as Post Danmark Rundt. Currently 15 teams, with 8 riders...
- Rick FlensRick FlensRick Flens is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank.-Palmares:2006...
– Stage 5
- Rick Flens
- Vuelta a España2007 Vuelta a EspañaThe 2007 Vuelta a España, the sixty-second edition of the cycle race, took place from September 1 until September 23, 2007. For the first time in a decade, the race started in the region of Galicia, at Vigo, home to Óscar Pereiro, with a flat stage...
- Denis MenchovDenis MenchovDenis Nikolayevich Menchov , born 25 January 1978 in Oryol, is a professional Russian road bicycle racer for . He is a general classification rider and a climber. In 2005 he won the Vuelta a España, which he won for a second time in 2007...
– Overall, Stage 10 - Óscar FreireÓscar FreireÓscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
– Stage 2, 5, 6
- Denis Menchov
- Tour de Pologne2007 Tour de PologneThe 2007 Tour de Pologne will be held from September 9 to 15, 2007 in Poland. The race will begin with a very short team time trial in the streets of Warsaw and have its toughest stages, once again, in the proximity of Jelenia Góra. In all, the race will comprise seven stages.-Jersey progress...
- Graeme BrownGraeme BrownGraeme Allen Brown OAM is a professional cyclist and dual Olympic gold medallist from Australia.-Cycling career - road and track:...
– Stage 2
- Graeme Brown
- 3-Länder-Tour3-Länder-TourThe 3-Länder-Tour der Sparkassen Versicherung is a multi-stage road bicycle race held around three Länder of Germany: Hessen, Thuringia and Baden-Württemberg...
- Thomas DekkerThomas Dekker (cyclist)Thomas Dekker is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for Garmin-Cervélo’s development team, Chipotle Development Team. His career highlights include winning Tirreno-Adriatico in 2006 and Tour de Romandie in 2007...
– Overall, Stage 2, 4
- Thomas Dekker
2008
- Vuelta a MurciaVuelta a MurciaThe Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia is a road bicycle race held in and around Murcia, Spain. The race consists of a men's competition over five stages and is part of the UCI Europe Tour as a 2.1 event. The first four editions were reserved to amateurs....
- Graeme BrownGraeme BrownGraeme Allen Brown OAM is a professional cyclist and dual Olympic gold medallist from Australia.-Cycling career - road and track:...
– Stage 1
- Graeme Brown
- Tirreno–Adriatico
- Óscar FreireÓscar FreireÓscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
– Stage 1, 4, 6 and points classification
- Óscar Freire
- Paris–Nice
- Robert GesinkRobert GesinkRobert Gesink is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank.-Early years:At the Junior World Championships of 2004 UCI Road World Championships in Verona, Gesink finished eighth in the individual time trial and sixth in the road race, while riding for team De Peddelaars in...
– Young rider classification & two days overall leader
- Robert Gesink
- Critérium InternationalCritérium InternationalThe Critérium International is a two-day bicycle stage race held in France every spring. It was formerly known as the Critérium National de la Route, first run in 1932....
- Laurens ten DamLaurens ten DamLaurens ten Dam is a Dutch road racing cyclist with UCI ProTeam Rabobank.A native of the village of Zuidwolde in Groningen, Laurens ten Dam has been racing since 2002 and, by the end of 2005, has risen to world-class ranking among professional racing cyclists.- Palmarès :2006***...
– Stage 1
- Laurens ten Dam
- Driedaagse van De Panne
- Joost PosthumaJoost PosthumaJoost Posthuma is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer. He rides on the UCI ProTour for the professional cycling team...
– Stage 4; General classification
- Joost Posthuma
- Gent–Wevelgem
- Óscar FreireÓscar FreireÓscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
- Óscar Freire
- Tour de LuxembourgTour de LuxembourgTour de Luxembourg is an annual stage race in professional road bicycle racing held in Luxembourg. The Tour de Luxembourg is classified as a 2.HC, the highest rating below the ProTour, by the Union Cycliste Internationale , the sport's governing body. In 2006, the Tour was part of the UCI Europe...
- Joost PosthumaJoost PosthumaJoost Posthuma is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer. He rides on the UCI ProTour for the professional cycling team...
– General classification
- Joost Posthuma
- Tour de Suisse
- Óscar FreireÓscar FreireÓscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
– Stage 1
- Óscar Freire
- Tour de France2008 Tour de FranceThe 2008 Tour de France was the 95th Tour de France. The event took place from 5–27 July 2008. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regular final destination, which was reached in the 21st stage...
- Denis MenchovDenis MenchovDenis Nikolayevich Menchov , born 25 January 1978 in Oryol, is a professional Russian road bicycle racer for . He is a general classification rider and a climber. In 2005 he won the Vuelta a España, which he won for a second time in 2007...
– 3rd Overall - Óscar FreireÓscar FreireÓscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
– Stage 14; points classification
- Denis Menchov
- Vuelta a España2008 Vuelta a EspañaThe 2008 Vuelta a España was the 63rd edition of the Vuelta a España, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The event took place from 30 August to 21 September 2008 over 21 stages covering . The first stage was a team time trial in Granada. The event finished in Madrid 23 days later...
- Óscar FreireÓscar FreireÓscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
– Stage 11
- Óscar Freire
- Circuit Franco-BelgeCircuit Franco-BelgeThe Tour de Wallonie-Picarde is a stage race cycling race held annually in Belgium and France. Since 2005, the race has been organized as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour- Winners :...
- Juan Antonio FlechaJuan Antonio FlechaJuan Antonio Flecha Giannoni is an Argentine-born Spanish professional road bicycle racer for the UCI ProTour team .-Career:...
- Juan Antonio Flecha
2009
- Tour Down Under2009 Tour Down UnderThe 2009 Tour Down Under was the 11th edition of the Tour Down Under cycling stage race, taking place over 20 –25 January around Adelaide, Australia...
- Graeme BrownGraeme BrownGraeme Allen Brown OAM is a professional cyclist and dual Olympic gold medallist from Australia.-Cycling career - road and track:...
– Stage 3
- Graeme Brown
- Vuelta a AndalucíaVuelta a AndalucíaThe Vuelta a Andalucía or Ruta del Sol is a regional Spanish road bicycle race. Since 2005, it has been a 2.1 category race on the UCI Europe Tour....
- Joost PosthumaJoost PosthumaJoost Posthuma is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer. He rides on the UCI ProTour for the professional cycling team...
– General classification
- Joost Posthuma
- Vuelta a MurciaVuelta a MurciaThe Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia is a road bicycle race held in and around Murcia, Spain. The race consists of a men's competition over five stages and is part of the UCI Europe Tour as a 2.1 event. The first four editions were reserved to amateurs....
- Graeme BrownGraeme BrownGraeme Allen Brown OAM is a professional cyclist and dual Olympic gold medallist from Australia.-Cycling career - road and track:...
– Stage 1 & 5 - Denis MenchovDenis MenchovDenis Nikolayevich Menchov , born 25 January 1978 in Oryol, is a professional Russian road bicycle racer for . He is a general classification rider and a climber. In 2005 he won the Vuelta a España, which he won for a second time in 2007...
– General classification
- Graeme Brown
- Nokere-KoerseNokere-KoerseNokere Koerse is a European semi classic single day cycle race held in the Belgian region of Flanders. Since 2005, the race has been organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour....
- Graeme BrownGraeme BrownGraeme Allen Brown OAM is a professional cyclist and dual Olympic gold medallist from Australia.-Cycling career - road and track:...
- Graeme Brown
- Tour of BelgiumTour of BelgiumThe Tour of Belgium is a four-day bicycle race which is held annually in Belgium.It was held annually between 1908 and 1981, except during both world wars. Between 1982 and 1990 several of races were not organised and none at all during the decade 1991 to 2001...
- Lars BoomLars BoomLars Anthonius Johannes Boom is a professional cyclo-cross and road racing cyclist who was born in Vlijmen in the Netherlands. Boom rides for UCI ProTeam Rabobank cycling team, having previous ridden for the junior and continental teams. Boom won the cyclo-cross world championships in 2008...
– General classification
- Lars Boom
- Giro d'Italia2009 Giro d'ItaliaThe 2009 Giro d'Italia was the 92nd running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It was held from 9 to 31 May 2009, and marked the 100th year since the first edition of the race...
- Denis MenchovDenis MenchovDenis Nikolayevich Menchov , born 25 January 1978 in Oryol, is a professional Russian road bicycle racer for . He is a general classification rider and a climber. In 2005 he won the Vuelta a España, which he won for a second time in 2007...
– General classification, Stage 5 & 12
- Denis Menchov
- Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré2009 Critérium du Dauphiné LibéréThe 2009 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré was the 61st edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré stage race. It took place from 7 June to 14 June, and was part of both the 2009 UCI ProTour and the inaugural World Calendar. It began in Nancy, France with an individual time trial, and ended in Grenoble...
- Stef ClementStef ClementStef Clement is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He specializes in the time trial, in which discipline he is the reigning Dutch national champion. He also won the bronze medal at the Time Trial of the 2007 UCI Road World Championships.- Palmarès :20032005...
– Stage 8
- Stef Clement
- Tour de France2009 Tour de FranceThe 2009 Tour de France was the 96th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on 4 July in the principality of Monaco with a individual time trial which included a section of the Circuit de Monaco...
- Juan Manuel GárateJuan Manuel GárateJuan Manuel Gárate Cepa is a Spanish professional road racing cyclist. He currently rides for the Rabobank team. He is perceived to be a climbing specialist, and to date his greatest achievements have been in the Giro d'Italia, where he placed fourth overall in 2002, fifth overall in 2005 and won...
– Stage 20
- Juan Manuel Gárate
- Vuelta a España2009 Vuelta a EspañaThe 2009 Vuelta a España was the 64th Vuelta a España. The event took place from 29 August to 20 September 2009. For only the second time in the race's history, it began away from Spanish soil, with the race not in fact reaching Spain until Stage 5....
- Lars BoomLars BoomLars Anthonius Johannes Boom is a professional cyclo-cross and road racing cyclist who was born in Vlijmen in the Netherlands. Boom rides for UCI ProTeam Rabobank cycling team, having previous ridden for the junior and continental teams. Boom won the cyclo-cross world championships in 2008...
– Stage 15
- Lars Boom
- Giro dell'Emilia
- Robert GesinkRobert GesinkRobert Gesink is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank.-Early years:At the Junior World Championships of 2004 UCI Road World Championships in Verona, Gesink finished eighth in the individual time trial and sixth in the road race, while riding for team De Peddelaars in...
- Robert Gesink
2010
- Trofeo Cala Millor
- Óscar FreireÓscar FreireÓscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
- Óscar Freire
- Vuelta a AndalucíaVuelta a AndalucíaThe Vuelta a Andalucía or Ruta del Sol is a regional Spanish road bicycle race. Since 2005, it has been a 2.1 category race on the UCI Europe Tour....
- Óscar FreireÓscar FreireÓscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
– Stage 2 & 3
- Óscar Freire
- Paris-Nice2010 Paris–NiceThe 2010 Paris–Nice was the 68th running of the Paris–Nice cycling stage race, often known as the Race to the Sun. It started on 7 March and ended on 14 March in Nice and consisted of a prologue time-trial and seven stages. Alberto Contador of Spain won the race, regaining the title he had won in...
- Lars BoomLars BoomLars Anthonius Johannes Boom is a professional cyclo-cross and road racing cyclist who was born in Vlijmen in the Netherlands. Boom rides for UCI ProTeam Rabobank cycling team, having previous ridden for the junior and continental teams. Boom won the cyclo-cross world championships in 2008...
– Prologue
- Lars Boom
- Milan – San Remo2010 Milan – San RemoThe 2010 Milan – San Remo was the 101st running of the Milan – San Remo cycling race, held on March 20. The race was won by Oscar Freire of Spain in a bunch sprint finish.- Teams :...
- Óscar FreireÓscar FreireÓscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
- Óscar Freire
- Delta Tour Zealand
- Jos van EmdenJos van EmdenJos van Emden is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team Rabobank.- Cycling career :20072010...
– Stage 1
- Jos van Emden
- Ster Elektrotour
- Jos van EmdenJos van EmdenJos van Emden is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team Rabobank.- Cycling career :20072010...
– Stage 1
- Jos van Emden
- Tour of Austria
- Nick NuyensNick NuyensNick Nuyens is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . His biggest wins to date include the semi-classics Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne, Omloop Het Volk, Paris–Brussels and the classic Tour of Flanders. He is generally viewed as a classics rider. He is married to the Belgian multiple...
– Stage 5 - Joost PosthumaJoost PosthumaJoost Posthuma is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer. He rides on the UCI ProTour for the professional cycling team...
– Stage 7 - Graeme BrownGraeme BrownGraeme Allen Brown OAM is a professional cyclist and dual Olympic gold medallist from Australia.-Cycling career - road and track:...
– Stage 8
- Nick Nuyens
- Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal2010 Grand Prix Cycliste de MontréalThe 2010 Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal was the first edition of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, one-day professional bicycle road race held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was held on September 12, 2010, as the final event in the 2010 UCI ProTour...
- Robert GesinkRobert GesinkRobert Gesink is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank.-Early years:At the Junior World Championships of 2004 UCI Road World Championships in Verona, Gesink finished eighth in the individual time trial and sixth in the road race, while riding for team De Peddelaars in...
- Robert Gesink
- Giro dell'Emilia2010 Giro dell'EmilliaThe 2010 Giro dell'Emilia was the 93rd of this single day road bicycle racing. The number 1 jersey was worn by Robert Gesink who won the previous edition.-Teams:Twenty four teams were invited to the 2010 Giro dell'Emilia.Teams from the UCI Pro Tour...
- Robert GesinkRobert GesinkRobert Gesink is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank.-Early years:At the Junior World Championships of 2004 UCI Road World Championships in Verona, Gesink finished eighth in the individual time trial and sixth in the road race, while riding for team De Peddelaars in...
- Robert Gesink
- Paris-Tours2010 Paris–ToursThe 2010 Paris–Tours was the 104rd edition of this single day road bicycle racing event and is organized by the Amaury Sport Organisation , which also runs the Tour de France.- 2010-10-10: La Loupe–Tours, 233 km :...
- Óscar FreireÓscar FreireÓscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
- Óscar Freire
- Tour de France2010 Tour de FranceThe 2010 Tour de France was the 97th edition of the Tour de France cycle race, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on with an 8.9 km prologue time trial in Rotterdam, the first start in the Netherlands since 1996...
- Denis MenchovDenis MenchovDenis Nikolayevich Menchov , born 25 January 1978 in Oryol, is a professional Russian road bicycle racer for . He is a general classification rider and a climber. In 2005 he won the Vuelta a España, which he won for a second time in 2007...
– 3rd Overall - Robert GesinkRobert GesinkRobert Gesink is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank.-Early years:At the Junior World Championships of 2004 UCI Road World Championships in Verona, Gesink finished eighth in the individual time trial and sixth in the road race, while riding for team De Peddelaars in...
– 6th Overall
- Denis Menchov
2011
- Tour Down Under2011 Tour Down UnderThe 2011 Tour Down Under was the 13th edition of the Tour Down Under stage race. It took place from 18 January to 23 January and was the first race of the 2011 UCI World Tour...
- Michael MatthewsMichael Matthews (cyclist)Michael Matthews is an Australian track and road cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam . In 2010 he became the Under 23 Road Race World Champion.- Results :2008...
– Stage 3
- Michael Matthews
- Tour of Qatar2011 Tour of QatarThe 2011 Tour of Qatar was the tenth edition of the Tour of Qatar cycling stage race. It was rated as a 2.1 event on the UCI Asia Tour, and was held from 6 February to 11 February 2011, in Qatar. The previous race was won by Wouter Mol of .-Teams:...
- Lars BoomLars BoomLars Anthonius Johannes Boom is a professional cyclo-cross and road racing cyclist who was born in Vlijmen in the Netherlands. Boom rides for UCI ProTeam Rabobank cycling team, having previous ridden for the junior and continental teams. Boom won the cyclo-cross world championships in 2008...
– Prologue
- Lars Boom
- Tour of Oman2011 Tour of OmanThe 2011 Tour of Oman is the second edition of the Tour of Oman cycling stage race. It is rated as a 2.1 event on the UCI Asia Tour, and held from 15 February to 20 February 2011, in Oman.-Teams:Sixteen teams will compete in the 2011 Tour of Oman...
- Theo BosTheo BosTheo Bos is a Dutch road cyclist and track cyclist, Olympic silver medalist and five-time world champion. He lives in Alkmaar, Netherlands. Theo Bos is the brother of Olympic medalist in speed skating Jan Bos. Bos rides for UCI ProTeam .-Early life:Theo Bos was born on 22 August 1983 in Hierden,...
– Stage 1 & 3 - Robert GesinkRobert GesinkRobert Gesink is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank.-Early years:At the Junior World Championships of 2004 UCI Road World Championships in Verona, Gesink finished eighth in the individual time trial and sixth in the road race, while riding for team De Peddelaars in...
– Stage 4 & 5 - Robert GesinkRobert GesinkRobert Gesink is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank.-Early years:At the Junior World Championships of 2004 UCI Road World Championships in Verona, Gesink finished eighth in the individual time trial and sixth in the road race, while riding for team De Peddelaars in...
– Overal and Youth classification
- Theo Bos
- Ruta del Sol2011 Vuelta a AndalucíaThe 2011 Vuelta a Andalucía is the 57th edition of the Vuelta a Andalucía stage race. The previous edition was won by 's Michael Rogers. The race started on 20 February and will finish on 24 February.-Teams:...
- Óscar FreireÓscar FreireÓscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
– Stage 4 & 5
- Óscar Freire
- Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
- Sebastian LangeveldSebastian LangeveldSebastian Langeveld is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank. His biggest win is Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in 2011. On the 17 of August 2011, Langeveld was confirmed to be riding for Australian team GreenEdge in 2012.- Palmarès :2006...
- Sebastian Langeveld
- Vuelta a MurciaVuelta a MurciaThe Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia is a road bicycle race held in and around Murcia, Spain. The race consists of a men's competition over five stages and is part of the UCI Europe Tour as a 2.1 event. The first four editions were reserved to amateurs....
- Michael MatthewsMichael Matthews (cyclist)Michael Matthews is an Australian track and road cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam . In 2010 he became the Under 23 Road Race World Champion.- Results :2008...
– Stage 1
- Michael Matthews
- Tirreno-Adriatico2011 Tirreno–AdriaticoThe 2011 Tirreno–Adriatico was the 46th running of the Tirreno–Adriatico cycling stage race, often known as the Race of two seas. It started on 9 March in Marina di Carrara and ended on 15 March in San Benedetto del Tronto and consisted of seven stages, including a team time trial to begin the race...
- Stage 1 – Team Time Trial
- Giro d'Italia2011 Giro d'ItaliaThe 2011 Giro d'Italia was the 94th edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The Giro started on 7 May with a team time trial in Turin to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Italian unification, when the city served as the first capital of the single state.The route was...
- Pieter WeeningPieter WeeningPieter Weening is a road bicycle racer from Harkema, Friesland, the Netherlands, currently riding for .-2005:In 2005 Weening won a stage in the Tour de France. As of today, Weening is the last Dutch stage winner in the Tour de France. After one of the closest finishes in the Tour ever, Weening won...
– Stage 5 - Steven KruijswijkSteven KruijswijkSteven Kruiswijk is a Dutch road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank. In 2009 he won the Under 23 category of the Dutch National Road Race Championships-Palmares:200720092010...
– 9th Overal
- Pieter Weening
- Critérium du Dauphiné2011 Critérium du DauphinéThe 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné, was the 63rd running of the Critérium du Dauphiné cycling stage race. It started on 5 June in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and ended on 12 June in La Toussuire and consisted of eight stages, including a race-commencing prologue stage and an individual time trial, held as...
- Lars BoomLars BoomLars Anthonius Johannes Boom is a professional cyclo-cross and road racing cyclist who was born in Vlijmen in the Netherlands. Boom rides for UCI ProTeam Rabobank cycling team, having previous ridden for the junior and continental teams. Boom won the cyclo-cross world championships in 2008...
– Prologue
- Lars Boom
- Tour de RijkeTour de RijkeTour de Rijke is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in June in Spijkenisse, Netherlands. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.- Winners :-External links:*...
- Theo BosTheo BosTheo Bos is a Dutch road cyclist and track cyclist, Olympic silver medalist and five-time world champion. He lives in Alkmaar, Netherlands. Theo Bos is the brother of Olympic medalist in speed skating Jan Bos. Bos rides for UCI ProTeam .-Early life:Theo Bos was born on 22 August 1983 in Hierden,...
- Theo Bos
- Tour de France2011 Tour de France-Pre-race favourites:2010 winner Alberto Contador was suspended from cycling during a doping investigation from September 2010 to February 2011, during which time 2010 runner-up Andy Schleck was regarded as the favourite. When the suspension was lifted, Contador declared his desire to compete in...
– Stage 9- Luis León SánchezLuis León SánchezLuis León Sánchez Gil is a Spanish road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He is also known as Lulu Sanchez. He rode for team Liberty Seguros-Würth from 2004 until 2006, when he moved to the Caisse d'Epargne team following the collapse of the Liberty Seguros-Würth team in the wake of the Operación...
- Luis León Sánchez
- Dutch Food Valley Classic
- Theo BosTheo BosTheo Bos is a Dutch road cyclist and track cyclist, Olympic silver medalist and five-time world champion. He lives in Alkmaar, Netherlands. Theo Bos is the brother of Olympic medalist in speed skating Jan Bos. Bos rides for UCI ProTeam .-Early life:Theo Bos was born on 22 August 1983 in Hierden,...
- Theo Bos
ProTour team
As of 1 January 2011Continental team
As of 19 October 2011.Note: (*) are (also) cyclo-cross specialists
Offroad Team
As of 1 Januari 2010.External links
- Rabo Sport – Official website
- Rabobank results since 1996
- Team presentation Rabobank 2010
- Interview Jos van Emden http://www.rosementink.nl/2011/07/interview-met-jos-van-emden/