What's the last decent race Rabobank won?

timoid.
timoid. Posts: 3,133
edited June 2012 in Pro race
I know we all love Rabo on these boards and appreciate their brilliant tactical nous, but they really aren't a succesful team.

Outside of Vienna Denis' Giro win in 2009 and Oscar's MSR in 2010, what results of significance has this squad recently achieved? I can't think of a another first rank race (GT, high ranking stage race, monument, high ranking classic)* they've won in the past 3-4 years. I don't even think they've won the Dutch Championship for a while.

Considering its one of the better funded teams, is it just extraordinarily badly run or can the Dutchies not race any more?



*Before anyone says it, the Tour of California and the Tour of Britain do not count.
It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.

Comments

  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    They are going to win every sprint stage of the 2012 TdF. Renshaw is going to destroy everyone, especially Cav, who will be crying like a little girl on the floor :)
  • nweststeyn
    nweststeyn Posts: 1,574
    marianne_vos_leader_uci_worldcup_600.jpg
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    edited May 2012
    LLSanchez has misfired since he moved there but still won stage 9 of the tour last year and a couple of stages at romandie

    Edit: also depends what a "high ranking stage race" is (I need to check Iain's diagram) but Gesink just won ToC
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
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  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 13,283
    Are you implying that MSR isn't just a chipper?
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,535
    Always managed to scrape a Tour stage victory.
    _
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,147
    The last World Tour race that they won, excluding stages, was the Montreal thingy in 2010 (Gesink)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,535
    That montreal race is a bigger deal than Omloop?

    Jeez.
    _
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,147
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    That montreal race is a bigger deal than Omloop?

    Jeez.

    That's for the UCI and Iain to decide, not me. I'm just delivering the facts.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,535
    RichN95 wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    That montreal race is a bigger deal than Omloop?

    Jeez.

    That's for the UCI and Iain to decide, not me. I'm just delivering the facts.
    :lol:

    They get love in Holland like a child does, regardless of the rider's nationality.

    Naturally, they get more excited if it's a Dutchy, but if they see LLS go for it they still properly cheer.

    It's strange one. I think Rabo get as much sponsorship/ PR value out of their grassroots efforts. Rabo can be seen throughout all the tiers of cycling in Holland.

    It's just a little ironic that they get groomed by Rabo early on, and do their best rides on the biggest stages at other teams.
    _
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    JonGinge wrote:
    LLSanchez has misfired since he moved there but still won stage 9 of the tour last year and a couple of stages at romandie

    Edit: also depends what a "high ranking stage race" is (I need to check Iain's diagram) but Gesink just won ToC


    Paris-Nice, Tirreno Adriatico, Romandie, Dauphiné Liberé, Tour of Switzerland. At a push Catlunya, Pais Vasco.

    Don't think Iain is the ToC's biggest fan.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • finchy
    finchy Posts: 6,686
    I don't know if you'll count this, but Paris-Tours in 2010?
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,638
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabobank_(cycling_team)

    Looks like National TT champions last year and before that Paris-Tours 2010
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    Timoid. wrote:
    ... Outside of Vienna Denis' Giro win in 2009 and Oscar's MSR in 2010, what results of significance has this squad recently achieved? ... I don't even think they've won the Dutch Championship for a while.
    Re Dutch championship, I think Lars Boom has won the Dutch national championship 3 of the last 4 years, albeit in cyclocross!
    And in fact Boom has probably contributed the most on the road too over the last few years, even if his greater number of victories weren’t as significant as the fewer wins of Freire, Menchov and Gesink.

    Rabobank have certainly gone down since the Boogie Days (I remember a great day in the Vosges in 1997, the stage over the Ballon d’Alsace, when I was halfway up the mountain with a lot of Boogerd’s Dutch fans).

    But who knows, Rabobank is one of the few top teams to have a ‘reserve team’ and maybe eventually, like in football, it will bring its rewards. Some may already be coming through.
    Kruijswijk is an example (U-23 Dutch national champion in 2009 when still with the ‘reserve team’), same for Slagter in 2010. Both have already showed they can sometimes mix with the 'big guns'.
    Or Mollema (he took the points jersey in the 2011 Vuelta and finished 4th overall).

    Anyway, Rabobank aren't the only top team not winning 'decent' races - the last couple of years they've certainly done better than Ag2r and Saxo, and overall have probably done about the same as 4-5 other teams.
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    johnfinch wrote:
    I don't know if you'll count this, but Paris-Tours in 2010?

    Great shout. Paris-Tours is definitely high calibre. One of the original monuments
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    knedlicky wrote:
    Anyway, Rabobank aren't the only top team not winning 'decent' races - the last couple of years they've certainly done better than Ag2r and Saxo, and overall have probably done about the same as 4-5 other teams.


    Hmmm Saxo Bank won the small matter of the Tour in 2010 and if you discount Bertie's steak then you have to award them the Giro in 2011. Add to that Liege, Paris Roubaix, two Rondes (including 2011) and two Tour de Suisse and you have to say that they've done ok in the same timeframe.

    AG2R is hopeless, like all the French teams, but I don't think their funding is that much. Rabo chucks money at it and are more akin to Cofidis than Quick Step.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    Re Saxo, I was thinking of their total number of (recognised) wins overall in the last 18 months, not farther back in time or their singular momentary successes since (and also I forgot the Schlecks once rode for Saxo).

    But, for whatever reasons, Saxo are no longer the ManU of the cycling world so one can’t rate their current performance only on their odd victories in big events. Outside those odd victories, they’ve recently shown little.
  • pottssteve
    pottssteve Posts: 4,069
    Euro for Euro Vacansoleil have been all over Rabo this year. Dutch colleagues of mine have been having a good old moan about their lack of success this season. Doesn't stop the hundreds of Rabo mamils showing their support out on the roads at the weekend, but I have noticed a few more Vacansoleil kits around though....
    Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,448
    How does Cali not count? It's going to be the 4th grand tour isn't it? ;)

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