Robert Gesink
Encyclopedia
Robert Gesink is a Dutch
professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank
.
in Verona, Gesink finished eighth in the individual time trial and sixth in the road race, while riding for team De Peddelaars in Aalten
. After this rather successful WC he went to team Lowik-Van Losser for one year. He joined the Rabobank
Continental team in 2006. He finished third overall in Volta ao Algarve
and won the overall classification and the third stage of Settimana Ciclista Lombarda. He later won a stage and the overall classification of the Circuito Montañés
and finished second in the prestigious Tour de l'Avenir
. Gesink initially signed a two year deal with Rabobank Continental but team manager Theo de Rooij
decided to move him to the Rabobank
UCI ProTeam for the 2007 season.
. After riding another top 15 in the Tour de Romandie
won by his teammate Thomas Dekker
, he won his first race as professional at the queen stage in the Tour of Belgium
riding away from everyone on Côte de La Redoute
. The next year, he finished just outside the top ten in the Clásica de San Sebastián
, fifth in the Deutschland Tour
, and second in the Tour de Pologne
. He subsequently got selected for the UCI Road World Championships
in Stuttgart. In the Giro di Lombardia
he finished fifteenth.
, Gesink rode away on the final climb, with only Levi Leipheimer
holding his wheel. They stayed ahead on the final 35 kilometers of downhill and flat and Leipheimer didn't contest Gesink in the sprint. Gesink won the young riders jersey again and finished 9th in the general classification. In the Paris–Nice he finished second in the stage up to Mont Serein, five kilometers before the top of Mont Ventoux
, where he was outsprinted by Cadel Evans
. He then lost the jersey in the penultimate stage to Cannes
, when he got isolated on the Col de Tanneron which, together with Gesink's overly careful descent, allowed Davide Rebellin
to take the leader's jersey. He finished fourth in the overall classification, 51 seconds behind Rebellin, which won Gesink the youth classification. He also finished twelfth in Vuelta al País Vasco
and completed a successful Ardennes classics
by finishing fourth in La Flèche Wallonne
. In September, he then finished seventh in his first Grand Tour
, the Vuelta a España
.
. He started his first Tour de France
but broke his wrist during a crash on stage 5. He completed the stage, but had to withdraw from the Tour due to his injuries. He recovered in time to enter into the Vuelta a España
. He finished the Vuelta a España
in 6th place, he was in 2nd place, but due to a fall where he sustained deep cuts in his knee, he was too injured to keep up in the final mountain stage.
Afterwards Gesink focused on regaining his form for the World Championships in Mendrisio, but he wasn't recovered fast enough and finished off the pace. However, a week later he was back to his old self and took the victory in the Giro dell'Emilia
, beating Jakob Fuglsang
and Thomas Lövkvist
to the line in a sprint uphill. He also took 6th place in the Giro di Lombardia and finished the season as 10th on the UCI World Ranking.
and Cadel Evans
, he started as one of the favorites for the Tour of the Basque Country. He impressed during the most important stage, was in the top 3 and even had a chance at winning the tour, when in stage 5 he fell once again. Eventually he finished 9th and seemed to have the form he needed for the “klassiekers” (classic events). Unfortunately this was not the case. In the Amstel Gold Race
, the La Flèche Wallonne
and Liège–Bastogne–Liège
he had a disappointing race and couldn’t compete for the victory. After that he went on altitude training in the Sierra Nevada
. He didn’t compete in any events for a while, while focusing on the Tour de France
. His form showed during the Tour de Suisse
, where he was victorious in the most difficult stage. With this win he took over the leader’s jersey from Tony Martin
. In the closing time trial he had a bad day and lost his leading position to Fränk Schleck
. He finally finished 5th. He participated in the 2010 Tour de France
for the second time, and completed it for the first time (he was forced to give up during the 2009 Tour de France due to a broken wrist). Gesink ended 6th in the general classification, becoming the first Dutchman to end so high in the general classifications in over a decade, and 2nd in the young rider classification. He also wore the White Jersey from stage 10 to 15 because the number 1 in the young rider classification, Andy Schleck
, was also first in the general classification and thus wore the Yellow Jersey. Gesink would also win the Giro dell'Emilia
for the second straight year.
and took two stage wins (one uphill finish and one individual time trial in which he beat World Champion Fabian Cancellara
), the overall classification and the youth classification. Gesink went on to ride the Tirreno-Adriatico after this promising start. He took the race lead after the 4th stage, but lost it a day later to Cadel Evans. In the closing time trial, Gesink showed that he really improved his time trialling and climbed in the general classification from five to second overall. He continued to show his good form in the Vuelta al País Vasco
where he finished third overall.
He did not continue this good form in the Hills Classics
and a ninth place at the Amstel Gold Race
was his best performance in the three races dominated by Philippe Gilbert
.
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Other major stage races:
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...
professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank
Rabobank (cycling)
Rabobank is a professional bicycle racing team, sponsored by the Rabobank. The team consists of three sections: ProTeam , Continental , and Cyclo-cross...
.
Early years
At the Junior World Championships of 2004 UCI Road World Championships2004 UCI Road World Championships
The 2004 UCI Road World Championships took place in Verona, Italy, between September 27 and October 3, 2004. The event consisted of a road race and a time trial for men, women, men under 23, junior men and junior women.- Events summary :...
in Verona, Gesink finished eighth in the individual time trial and sixth in the road race, while riding for team De Peddelaars in Aalten
Aalten
Aalten is a municipality and a village in the eastern Netherlands. The former municipalities of Bredevoort and Dinxperlo have been merged with Aalten....
. After this rather successful WC he went to team Lowik-Van Losser for one year. He joined the Rabobank
Rabobank (cycling)
Rabobank is a professional bicycle racing team, sponsored by the Rabobank. The team consists of three sections: ProTeam , Continental , and Cyclo-cross...
Continental team in 2006. He finished third overall in Volta ao Algarve
Volta ao Algarve
The Volta ao Algarve is a road bicycle racing stage race held annually in the Algarve, Portugal. Since 2005, it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. Due to its early February position in the European calendar, it is used by many riders to prepare for the Spring...
and won the overall classification and the third stage of Settimana Ciclista Lombarda. He later won a stage and the overall classification of the Circuito Montañés
Circuito Montañés
Circuito Montañés is a cycling stage race held annually in Cantabria, Spain. The editions 1986-1995 were reserved to amateurs. Since 2005, the race has been organized as a 2.2 event on the UCI Europe Tour.-Winners:...
and finished second in the prestigious Tour de l'Avenir
Tour de l'Avenir
Tour de l'Avenir is a French road bicycle racing stage race, which started in 1961 as a race similar to the Tour de France and over much of the same course but for amateurs and for semi-professionals known as independents. Riders competed in national teams...
. Gesink initially signed a two year deal with Rabobank Continental but team manager Theo de Rooij
Theo de Rooij
Theo de Rooij is a retired Dutch former bicycle racer and former manager of the Rabobank cycling team - a position from which he resigned after the 2007 Tour de France. De Rooij was a professional rider from 1980 to 1990. He started his career in Belgian teams and the last eight years of his...
decided to move him to the Rabobank
Rabobank (cycling)
Rabobank is a professional bicycle racing team, sponsored by the Rabobank. The team consists of three sections: ProTeam , Continental , and Cyclo-cross...
UCI ProTeam for the 2007 season.
2007
In his first year as professional cyclist, Gesink won the young riders jersey in the Tour of California. He finished 9th in his first UCI Pro Tour race ever, in La Flèche Wallonne, where it was calculated Gesink had done the fastest climb of the Mur de HuyMur de Huy
The Mur de Huy is a high hill located in Huy, Belgium. It is also known as le Chemin des Chapelles because of the seven chapels along its route. This climb is famous for being part of the route of La Flèche Wallonne professional cycling race....
. After riding another top 15 in the Tour de Romandie
2007 Tour de Romandie
The 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...
won by his teammate Thomas Dekker
Thomas 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...
, he won his first race as professional at the queen stage in 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...
riding away from everyone on Côte de La Redoute
Côte de La Redoute
The Côte de La Redoute is part of the Liège-Bastogne-Liège cycle route. It is located in the commune of Aywaille and its incline is 2.3 km at 7.4%. It is named after a redoubt in the battle of Sprimont, which occurred at the village of Fontin, which is located on it, in the commune of Esneux....
. The next year, he finished just outside the top ten in the Clásica de San Sebastián
2007 Clásica de San Sebastián
The 2007 Clásica de San Sebastián cycle race took place in the Basque city of San Sebastián on August 4, 2007.-General Standings:-External links:*...
, fifth in the Deutschland Tour
2007 Deutschland Tour
The 31st edition of the Deutschland Tour cycle race took place in Germany from August 10 to August 18, 2007. It did not start with the traditional prologue but with a normal stage. The race included a team time trial, an individual time trial and seven stages, covering a total of . The race began...
, and second in the Tour de Pologne
2007 Tour de Pologne
The 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...
. He subsequently got selected for the UCI Road World Championships
2007 UCI Road World Championships
The 2007 UCI Road World Championships took place in Stuttgart, Germany, between September 25 and September 30, 2007. The event consisted of a road race and a time trial for men, women and men under 23...
in Stuttgart. In the Giro di Lombardia
2007 Giro di Lombardia
The 2007 Giro di Lombardia is the 101st edition of this single day road bicycle racing monument race. The 242 km event took place on October 14, 2007 and was won by Damiano Cunego, the Italian rider for Lampre-Fondital in 5 hours, 52 minutes 48 seconds at an average speed of 41.16 km/h.-...
he finished fifteenth.
2008
In his 2nd year as professional, in 2008, he showed progression by winning the hardest stage in the Tour of California2008 Tour of California
The 2008 Tour of California was the third edition of an eight-day, 650-mile stage race, which began in Palo Alto , then raced through the California redwoods, wine country and the Pacific Coast and finished in Pasadena. The road bicycle racing event was held February 17–24...
, Gesink rode away on the final climb, with only Levi Leipheimer
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...
holding his wheel. They stayed ahead on the final 35 kilometers of downhill and flat and Leipheimer didn't contest Gesink in the sprint. Gesink won the young riders jersey again and finished 9th in the general classification. In the Paris–Nice he finished second in the stage up to Mont Serein, five kilometers before the top of Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some 20 km northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the Drôme département. It is the largest mountain in the region and has been nicknamed the "Giant of Provence", or "The Bald...
, where he was outsprinted by Cadel Evans
Cadel Evans
Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in...
. He then lost the jersey in the penultimate stage to Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, when he got isolated on the Col de Tanneron which, together with Gesink's overly careful descent, allowed Davide Rebellin
Davide Rebellin
Davide Rebellin is an Italian road bicycle racer, currently riding for the Italian Miche-Guerciotti team. He served a 2-year suspension for testing positive for Mircera at the 2008 Olympic Games...
to take the leader's jersey. He finished fourth in the overall classification, 51 seconds behind Rebellin, which won Gesink the youth classification. He also finished twelfth in Vuelta al País Vasco
2008 Vuelta al País Vasco
The 2008 Vuelta al País Vasco, the 65th edition of the Vuelta al País Vasco stage cycling race, took place from April 7 to April 12, 2008. It was won by Spanish rider Alberto Contador of .-General classification:...
and completed a successful Ardennes classics
Ardennes classics
The Ardennes classics are three cycling classics held in mid-April in the Ardennes and Dutch Limburg. The races are notable for their hilly courses, and often have similar riders competing for the top positions as the races are held close after each other...
by finishing fourth in La Flèche Wallonne
2008 La Flèche Wallonne
The 2008 La Flèche Wallonne cycling race took place on April 23, 2008 and was won by Luxembourger Kim Kirchen of . It was the 72nd running of the La Flèche Wallonne and covered between Charleroi and Huy in Belgium in 4 hours, 35 minutes and 20 seconds. Australian Cadel Evans of and Italian...
. In September, he then finished seventh in his first Grand Tour
Grand Tour (cycling)
In road bicycle racing, a Grand Tour refers to one of the three major European professional cycling stage races:* Tour de France – Tour of France , held in July* Giro d'Italia – Tour of Italy , held in May...
, the Vuelta a España
2008 Vuelta a España
The 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...
.
2009
In 2009, Gesink finished fourth overall in the Dauphiné2009 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
The 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...
. He started his first Tour de France
2009 Tour de France
The 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...
but broke his wrist during a crash on stage 5. He completed the stage, but had to withdraw from the Tour due to his injuries. He recovered in time to enter into the Vuelta a España
2009 Vuelta a España
The 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....
. He finished the Vuelta a España
2009 Vuelta a España
The 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....
in 6th place, he was in 2nd place, but due to a fall where he sustained deep cuts in his knee, he was too injured to keep up in the final mountain stage.
Afterwards Gesink focused on regaining his form for the World Championships in Mendrisio, but he wasn't recovered fast enough and finished off the pace. However, a week later he was back to his old self and took the victory in the Giro dell'Emilia
Giro dell'Emilia
The Giro dell'Emilia is a late season road bicycle race held annually in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.HC event on the UCI Europe Tour. It is considered one of the most important classic bicycle races in Italy....
, beating Jakob Fuglsang
Jakob Fuglsang
Jakob Diemer Fuglsang is a Danish professional racing cyclist for UCI ProTeam . Before turning professional for Team Saxo Bank, he was a mountain biker racing for Team Cannondale-Vredestein. He has won the U23 World Cup...
and Thomas Lövkvist
Thomas Lövkvist
Thomas Löfkvist is a Swedish professional road bicycle racer riding for the UCI ProTour . He became the youngest Swedish professional road bicycle racer when he started his professional bicycling career in at the age of 19 in 2004...
to the line in a sprint uphill. He also took 6th place in the Giro di Lombardia and finished the season as 10th on the UCI World Ranking.
2010
Gesink’s schedule for 2010 was about the same as that of 2009, only this time he did manage to get a good result in the Tirreno–Adriatico (5th). Because of the absence of, among others, Alberto ContadorAlberto Contador
Alberto Contador Velasco is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He was the winner of the 2007 Tour de France with the team. With the Astana team he has won the 2008 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Vuelta a España, the 2009 Tour de France, the 2010 Tour de France and won 2011 Giro...
and Cadel Evans
Cadel Evans
Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in...
, he started as one of the favorites for the Tour of the Basque Country. He impressed during the most important stage, was in the top 3 and even had a chance at winning the tour, when in stage 5 he fell once again. Eventually he finished 9th and seemed to have the form he needed for the “klassiekers” (classic events). Unfortunately this was not the case. In the Amstel Gold Race
2010 Amstel Gold Race
The 2010 Amstel Gold Race was the 45th edition of the Amstel Gold Race classic cycle race and took place on April 18, 2010. It was held on a 257.4 kilometres course from Maastricht to Cauberg as the sixth event of the 2010 UCI ProTour and the tenth event in the UCI World Ranking series...
, the La Flèche Wallonne
2010 La Flèche Wallonne
The 2010 La Flèche Wallonne cycling race took place on 21 April 2010. It was the 74th running of the La Flèche Wallonne between Charleroi and Huy in Belgium. It was won by the World Champion Cadel Evans.-Teams:...
and Liège–Bastogne–Liège
2010 Liège–Bastogne–Liège
The 2010 Liège–Bastogne–Liège monument classic cycling race took place on April 25, 2010. The race was won by Alexander Vinokourov after slipping into a breakaway with Alexandr Kolobnev...
he had a disappointing race and couldn’t compete for the victory. After that he went on altitude training in the Sierra Nevada
Sierra Nevada (Spain)
The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range in the region of provinces of Granada and Almería in Spain. It contains the highest point of continental Spain, Mulhacén at 3478 m above sea level....
. He didn’t compete in any events for a while, while focusing on 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...
. His form showed during the Tour de Suisse
Tour de Suisse
The Tour de Suisse is a UCI World Tour stage race held annually in June. The race debuted in 1933 and has evolved in timing, duration and sponsorship. With the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is a proving ground for the Tour de France, and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
, where he was victorious in the most difficult stage. With this win he took over the leader’s jersey from Tony Martin
Tony Martin (cyclist)
Tony Martin is a German professional road bicycle racer riding for the UCI ProTeam . Martin is known as a time trial specialist: in 2011, he won a time trial stage in the Tour de France and in the Vuelta a España, and became world champion...
. In the closing time trial he had a bad day and lost his leading position to Fränk Schleck
Fränk Schleck
Fränk René Schleck is a Luxembourgish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . At the start of 2005, Schleck was joined by his younger brother Andy on , and they split the 2005 national championships between them, with Fränk winning the road race and Andy winning the time trial...
. He finally finished 5th. He participated in the 2010 Tour de France
2010 Tour de France
The 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...
for the second time, and completed it for the first time (he was forced to give up during the 2009 Tour de France due to a broken wrist). Gesink ended 6th in the general classification, becoming the first Dutchman to end so high in the general classifications in over a decade, and 2nd in the young rider classification. He also wore the White Jersey from stage 10 to 15 because the number 1 in the young rider classification, Andy Schleck
Andy Schleck
Andy Raymond Schleck is a Luxembourgish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . He is the younger brother of Fränk Schleck, who also rides for . Their father Johny Schleck rode the Tour de France and Vuelta a España between 1965 and 1974...
, was also first in the general classification and thus wore the Yellow Jersey. Gesink would also win the Giro dell'Emilia
Giro dell'Emilia
The Giro dell'Emilia is a late season road bicycle race held annually in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.HC event on the UCI Europe Tour. It is considered one of the most important classic bicycle races in Italy....
for the second straight year.
2011
The start of Gesink's 2011 season could not be better. He started in the Tour of Oman2011 Tour of Oman
The 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...
and took two stage wins (one uphill finish and one individual time trial in which he beat World Champion Fabian Cancellara
Fabian Cancellara
Fabian Cancellara is a Swiss professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . A time trial specialist, he is a four-time World Time Trial Champion and is the current Olympic gold medalist...
), the overall classification and the youth classification. Gesink went on to ride the Tirreno-Adriatico after this promising start. He took the race lead after the 4th stage, but lost it a day later to Cadel Evans. In the closing time trial, Gesink showed that he really improved his time trialling and climbed in the general classification from five to second overall. He continued to show his good form in the Vuelta al País Vasco
2011 Tour of the Basque Country
The 2011 Tour of the Basque Country, was the 51st running of the Tour of the Basque Country cycling stage race. It started on 4 April in Zumarraga and ended on 9 April in Zalla and consisted of six stages, including a race-concluding individual time trial...
where he finished third overall.
He did not continue this good form in the Hills Classics
Ardennes classics
The Ardennes classics are three cycling classics held in mid-April in the Ardennes and Dutch Limburg. The races are notable for their hilly courses, and often have similar riders competing for the top positions as the races are held close after each other...
and a ninth place at 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...
was his best performance in the three races dominated by Philippe Gilbert
Philippe Gilbert
Philippe Gilbert is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . Gilbert is a classics specialist...
.
Palmarès
2004- U19 Individual time trialIndividual time trialAn individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
Championship
2006
- 1st Overall, Circuito MontañésCircuito MontañésCircuito Montañés is a cycling stage race held annually in Cantabria, Spain. The editions 1986-1995 were reserved to amateurs. Since 2005, the race has been organized as a 2.2 event on the UCI Europe Tour.-Winners:...
- 1st Stage 6
- 1st Overall, Settimana Ciclistica LombardaSettimana Ciclistica LombardaThe Settimana Ciclistica Lombarda is an Italian cycle road race. In 2007, the race was organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour, previously being a 2.2 race....
- 1st Stage 3
- 2nd Overall, Tour de l'AvenirTour de l'AvenirTour de l'Avenir is a French road bicycle racing stage race, which started in 1961 as a race similar to the Tour de France and over much of the same course but for amateurs and for semi-professionals known as independents. Riders competed in national teams...
- 3rd Overall, Volta ao AlgarveVolta ao AlgarveThe Volta ao Algarve is a road bicycle racing stage race held annually in the Algarve, Portugal. Since 2005, it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. Due to its early February position in the European calendar, it is used by many riders to prepare for the Spring...
- 4th Rund um KölnRund um KölnThe Rund um Köln is a classic cycling race which is based around the German city of Cologne. Since 2005 it is part of the UCI Europe Tour, being organised as 1.1 race . It is one of the oldest cycling races still running in Germany, just after Rund um die Hainleite, which was first held in 1908...
- 6th U23 World Championship, Road Race2006 UCI Road World Championships - Men's Under-23 Road RaceThe 2006 UCI Road World Championships - Men's Under-23 Road Race took place on September 23, 2006 around the Austrian city of Salzburg. The race was won by German sprinter Gerald Ciolek, who took the sprint from Romain Feillu and Alexander Khatuntsev.-Results:...
2007
- 1st Young Rider Classification, Tour of California
- 1st Stage 4, 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...
- 2nd Overall, 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...
- 5th Overall, Deutschland Tour2007 Deutschland TourThe 31st edition of the Deutschland Tour cycle race took place in Germany from August 10 to August 18, 2007. It did not start with the traditional prologue but with a normal stage. The race included a team time trial, an individual time trial and seven stages, covering a total of . The race began...
- 1st Young Rider Classification
2008
- 4th Overall, Paris–Nice
- 1st Young Rider Classification
- 4th La Flèche Wallonne2008 La Flèche WallonneThe 2008 La Flèche Wallonne cycling race took place on April 23, 2008 and was won by Luxembourger Kim Kirchen of . It was the 72nd running of the La Flèche Wallonne and covered between Charleroi and Huy in Belgium in 4 hours, 35 minutes and 20 seconds. Australian Cadel Evans of and Italian...
- 4th Overall, Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
- 7th Overall, 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...
- 9th Overall, Tour of California2008 Tour of CaliforniaThe 2008 Tour of California was the third edition of an eight-day, 650-mile stage race, which began in Palo Alto , then raced through the California redwoods, wine country and the Pacific Coast and finished in Pasadena. The road bicycle racing event was held February 17–24...
- 1st Stage 3
- 1st Young Rider Classification
- 10th Road Race World Championships2008 UCI Road World ChampionshipsThe 2008 UCI Road World Championships took place in Varese, Italy, between September 23 and September 28, 2008. The event consisted of a road race and a time trial for men, women and men under 23.-Medals table:-Events summary:-External links:**...
- 10th Olympic Road Race
- 10th Olympic Time Trial
2009
- 1st Giro dell'EmiliaGiro dell'EmiliaThe Giro dell'Emilia is a late season road bicycle race held annually in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.HC event on the UCI Europe Tour. It is considered one of the most important classic bicycle races in Italy....
- 3rd Amstel Gold Race2009 Amstel Gold RaceThe 2009 Amstel Gold Race was the 44th edition of the Amstel Gold Race classic cycle race and took place on April 19, 2009. It was held on a course from Maastricht to Cauberg, Holland as the fifth event of the 2009 UCI ProTour, and the ninth event in the inaugural UCI World Ranking series...
- 4th Overall, 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...
- 2nd Stage 7
- 6th Overall, 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....
- 6th Giro di Lombardia2009 Giro di LombardiaThe 2009 Giro di Lombardia was the 103rd edition of this single day road bicycle racing monument race, colloquially known as the "Race of the Falling Leaves". The event was scheduled for the 17 October 2009. It was the final event of the 2009 UCI World Ranking and the final major event of the 2009...
- 7th Overall, Vuelta al País Vasco2009 Vuelta al País VascoThe 2009 Vuelta al País Vasco, the 66th edition of the Vuelta al País Vasco stage cycling race, started on 6 April and ended on 11 April. It was won by Alberto Contador, making this his second Vuelta al País Vasco victory in a row...
- 8th Overall, Tour of California2009 Tour of CaliforniaThe 2009 Amgen Tour of California was the 4th running of an annual cycling race contained within the state of California. The event was staged February 14–22 and began with a prologue in the state capital of Sacramento. The event was held as part of the schedule of both the UCI America Tour and USA...
- 1st Youth Classification
2010
- 1st Giro dell'EmiliaGiro dell'EmiliaThe Giro dell'Emilia is a late season road bicycle race held annually in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.HC event on the UCI Europe Tour. It is considered one of the most important classic bicycle races in Italy....
- 1st Grand Prix Cycliste de MontréalGrand Prix Cycliste de MontréalThe Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal is a one-day professional bicycle road race held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Its first edition was held on September 12, 2010 as the final event in the 2010 UCI ProTour....
- 3rd Grand Prix Cycliste de QuébecGrand Prix Cycliste de QuébecThe Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec is a one-day professional bicycle road race held in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Its first edition was on September 10, 2010, as the penultimate event in the 2010 UCI ProTour....
- 5th Overall, Tirreno–Adriatico2010 Tirreno–AdriaticoThe 2010 Tirreno–Adriatico was the 45th running of the Tirreno–Adriatico stage race. It started on 10 March and finished on 16 March. The race started in Livorno and ended San Benedetto del Tronto...
- 1st Youth Classification, Tirreno–Adriatico2010 Tirreno–AdriaticoThe 2010 Tirreno–Adriatico was the 45th running of the Tirreno–Adriatico stage race. It started on 10 March and finished on 16 March. The race started in Livorno and ended San Benedetto del Tronto...
- 1st Youth Classification, Tirreno–Adriatico
- 5th Overall, Tour de Suisse2010 Tour de SuisseThe 2010 Tour de Suisse was the 74th edition of the Tour de Suisse stage race. It took place from 12 June to 20 June and was part of both the 2010 UCI ProTour and the World Calendar. It began with a short individual time trial in Lugano and ended with another time trial, in Liestal...
- 1st, Stage 6
- 6th Overall, 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...
- 2nd Youth Classification, 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...
- 2nd Youth Classification, Tour de France
- 7th Clásica de San SebastiánClásica de San SebastiánThe Donostia-Donostia Klasikoa - Clásica San Sebastián-San Sebastián is a cycle race that has been held every summer since 1981 in San Sebastián, Spain...
- 8th Overall, Tour MéditerranéenTour MéditerranéenTour Méditerranéen is a professional road bicycle racing event held in southern France along the Mediterranean Sea. The Tour Méditerranéen is a five-day stage race that began in 1974 and since 2005 has been a part of the UCI Europe Tour as a 2.1 event...
- 8th Overall, Vuelta al Pais Vasco
2011
- 1st Overall, 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...
- Young Rider Classification
- 1st Stage 4
- 1st Stage 5 (ITTIndividual time trialAn individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
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- 2nd Overall, 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...
- 1st Stage 1 (TTTTeam time trialA team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart...
) - 1st Youth Classification, 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...
- 1st Stage 1 (TTT
- 2nd Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec2011 Grand Prix Cycliste de QuébecThe 2011 Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec was the second edition of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec, a single-day professional bicycle road race. It was held on 9 September 2011, over a distance of , starting and finishing in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada...
- 3rd Overall, Tour of the Basque Country2011 Tour of the Basque CountryThe 2011 Tour of the Basque Country, was the 51st running of the Tour of the Basque Country cycling stage race. It started on 4 April in Zumarraga and ended on 9 April in Zalla and consisted of six stages, including a race-concluding individual time trial...
Grand Tours overall classification results timeline
| Grand Tour | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 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... |
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 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... |
- | WD 2009 Tour de France The 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... |
6 2010 Tour de France The 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... |
33 2011 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... |
 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... |
7 2008 Vuelta a España The 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... |
6 2009 Vuelta a España The 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.... |
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Other major stage races:
| Race | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris-Nice Paris-Nice Paris–Nice, "the race to the sun", is a professional cycling stage race held each March.The first Paris–Nice was in 1933, and was won by Alfons Schepers from Belgium. The most successful cyclist in Paris–Nice was Sean Kelly from Ireland, who won seven consecutive titles from 1982 to 1988.Although... |
- | 4 2008 Paris-Nice The 2008 Paris–Nice, the 66th running of the race, took place from March 9 to March 16, 2008 and was won by Italian Davide Rebellin from , who finished second last year. The race started in Amilly and ended in Nice. The 2008 edition returned to the fabled climb of Mont Ventoux, with stage four... |
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| Tirreno-Adriatico Tirreno-Adriatico Tirreno–Adriatico, the "race of the two seas", is an elite cycle race following a route between the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts of Italy. Traditionally held in early season, it is considered important preparation for the Milan – San Remo classic race... |
– | – | 11 2009 Tirreno-Adriatico The 2009 Tirreno–Adriatico, the 44th running of the race, started on 11 March and finished on 17 March. The race started in Cecina and ended in San Benedetto del Tronto... |
5 | 2 2011 Tirreno–Adriatico The 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... |
| Vuelta al Pais Vasco | - | 12 2008 Vuelta al País Vasco The 2008 Vuelta al País Vasco, the 65th edition of the Vuelta al País Vasco stage cycling race, took place from April 7 to April 12, 2008. It was won by Spanish rider Alberto Contador of .-General classification:... |
6 2009 Vuelta al País Vasco The 2009 Vuelta al País Vasco, the 66th edition of the Vuelta al País Vasco stage cycling race, started on 6 April and ended on 11 April. It was won by Alberto Contador, making this his second Vuelta al País Vasco victory in a row... |
8 | 3 2011 Tour of the Basque Country The 2011 Tour of the Basque Country, was the 51st running of the Tour of the Basque Country cycling stage race. It started on 4 April in Zumarraga and ended on 9 April in Zalla and consisted of six stages, including a race-concluding individual time trial... |
| Tour de Romandie Tour de Romandie The Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs in the Romandie region, in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. It began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling.... |
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| Dauphiné Libéré Dauphiné Libéré The Critérium du Dauphiné is an annual cycling road race, run over eight stages in the Dauphiné region in France during the first half of June. The race was inaugurated by a local newspaper, the Dauphiné Libéré, which gave its name to the event... |
WD | 4 | 4 | – | 20 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné The 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... |
| Tour de Suisse Tour de Suisse The Tour de Suisse is a UCI World Tour stage race held annually in June. The race debuted in 1933 and has evolved in timing, duration and sponsorship. With the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is a proving ground for the Tour de France, and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar... |
– | – | – | 5 2010 Tour de Suisse The 2010 Tour de Suisse was the 74th edition of the Tour de Suisse stage race. It took place from 12 June to 20 June and was part of both the 2010 UCI ProTour and the World Calendar. It began with a short individual time trial in Lugano and ended with another time trial, in Liestal... |
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