Stage Reports

<p><b>Adelaide, 24/1/2010</b></p> <p>Rabobank's Australian sprinter Graeme Brown finally got the better of HTC Columbia's Andre Griepel during today's concluding stage of the 2010 Santos Tour Down Under, but the performance still wasn't enough to overcome the newly established might of British Team Sky that produced a one-two result for Chris Sutton and Greg Henderson.</p> <br /> <p>Reversing the positions of their one-two finish in the Cancer Council Helpline Criterium one week ago, Sutton and Henderson benefited from being on the end of a classy lead-out train that drove into the final corner and dictated the terms.</p> <br /> <p>Finishing third in an outcome that could easily have been a stage victory on the street circuit in Adelaide's city centre, Brown found himself in an excellent position 400 metres out from the finish, before leadout man Tom Leezer appeared to lose speed.</p> <br /> <p>“Team Sky had people everywhere, they still had 3 or 4 guys with 300 metres to go, it felt like I was dodging Sky riders left, right and centre,” Brown said.</p> <br /> <p>“I had Tom Leezer in front of me and I wanted him to hit out just that little bit earlier but he'd been riding in the wind a fair bit and didn't have any more energy left.”</p> <br /> <p> Earlier in today's stage, Rabobank's Dutch Road Champion Koos Moerenhout tried his luck with an ambitious solo attack, but it was reeled in shortly before the first intermediate sprint.</p> <br /> <p>Brown's third placing in the sprint finish, impressive given the circumstances, still brought a frustrating conclusion to the Santos Tour Down Under for Rabobank, given the Australian had travelled to Adelaide with excellent early season condition..</p> <br /> <p>“I always want to perform at Tour Down Under and I'm a little bit disappointed this year,” Brown said.</p> <br /> <p> “I came in with great form and did manage to get two third places but not what I had hoped for.”</p> <br /> <p>While it was largely a foregone conclusion after yesterday's stage at Willunga, Germany's Andre Griepel held onto his lead in the General Classification today to become only the second rider in Tour Down Under history, alongside Adelaide local Stuart O'Grady, to win the race twice.</p> <br /> <p>Griepel finished 11 seconds ahead of 2005 TDU winner Luis Leon Sanchez, (Caisse d'Epargne)  with New Zealander Greg Henderson a further 15 seconds back in third.

<P><B>Willunga, January 23, 2010.</B></P><BR> <P>On a day that will be remembered as one of the 'bottle forever' moments of Australia's Santos Tour Down Under, Spain's Luis Leon Sanchez (Caisse d'Epargne) yesterday delivered a dramatic and&nbsp; unforgettable stage victory on the slopes of Willunga Hill, in what was widely proclaimed as the greatest stage in the history of the race.</P><BR> <P>As the 148 kilometre queen stage of the Tour Down Under reached its conclusion, a crowd estimated at well over 100,000 - the largest ever seen at an Australian cycling event – bore witness to a classic exhibition of street theatre as Sanchez and team-mate Alejandro Valverde duelled with Australia's World Road Champion Cadel Evans (BMC).</P><BR> <P>The finale could not have been more dramatic, with Sanchez attacking Evans at the death to claim victory as the remains of the peloton closed in from behind, driven by the HTC Columbia team-mates of overall race leader Andre Griepel.</P><BR> <P>Unfortunately for Rabobank, sprinter Graeme Brown who started the stage in 5<SUP>th</SUP> place on the G.C., 26 seconds behind Griepel, was unable to hold onto the group containing the G.C. leaders on the second taxing climb of Willunga Hill, effectively ending his hopes of an overall podium placing in the 2010 Santos Tour Down Under.</P><BR> <P>“Got over the first time with the group so that was a good sign but the second time they just rode a bit hard,” Brown admitted.</P><BR> <P>“It's a lot better than I was last year and ten times better than the year before so maybe next year I can stay with the group twice.”</P> <P></P><BR> <P>Disappointed with the outcome, Team Manager Frans Maassen called Dutch Road Champion Koos Moerenhout back from the group containing the G.C. leaders to assist Brown, as Rabobank tried desperately to stay in touch with Griepel.</P><BR> <P>“There was an attack from the big riders, you knew Evans and the Caisse d'Epargne guys that they were very motivated and this is also a good climb for them and they would attack there,” Maassen said.</P><BR> <P>“We had to stay with the sprinters and that was the problem, Graeme couldn't hold on with Griepel and McEwen.”</P><BR> <P>&nbsp;Rabobank will shift focus to today's concluding stage of the Santos Tour Down Under, a criterium race on the streets of inner-city Adelaide where Brown will be among the favourites.</P><BR> <P>“I've won there before a few years ago, there's a little hill in it which suits me pretty good, a slightly uphill finish which I like as well, “Brown said.&nbsp;</P>

<p>The Rabobank team hopes of winning a stage in the Tour Down Under remained high until the very last metres of the race, but it wasn’t on the cards for Graeme Brown. He lost in Adelaide in the last sprint to two Team Sky riders. Chris Sutton came in first before his team mate Greg Henderson. André Greipel is the overall winner, and the German also won three stages. This is his second overall win, as Greipel was also victorious in 2008.</p><br/><p>In the final sprint, Greipel's Team High Road took the day in a fairly relaxed manner, and this provided opportunities for the other sprinters, Brown included. He was now forced to recognise the superiority of the Team Sky block, who stormed the finish with four riders. Chris Sutton subsequently had a clear win, and Greg Henderson snatched second place from Brown by millimetres. </p><br/><p>"It’s disappointing that it didn’t work. This was our chance." Team leader Frans Maassen didn't blame anyone in particular. "The team didn’t do at all badly today. We were active, and in the final sprint Graeme was better set up than in the other sprints this week. Tom Leezer stayed with him for a long time. But Team Sky still had four men two hundred metres from the finish, so no one else had a chance. Brown managed to get surprisingly close in the end, but Sutton won fair and square."</p><br/><p>Maassen feels that not having a win does not put a damper on the race for his team. "Coming third twice. Yes well, it's not what we had been hoping for. We came to win a stage and maybe even a good classification for Pieter Weening, Koos Moerenhout or Stef Clement. Those three dropped out due to circumstances and unfortunately Graeme had no success this time either. It's a pity, because I think he is in good shape. But a sombre feeling now? No, absolutely not. This was a really great race. We didn’t win a stage, but we certainly had a great time."</p><br/>

<p>General Manager of the Rabobank Cycling Teams Harold Knebel is currently combining business with pleasure. Over the past week he has intensively followed the Tour Down Under and will remain in Australia for a little longer after the team has left. Knebel will study the commercial possibilities of the Tour Down Under in conjunction with Rabobank Sydney. “This race is already far more important than people in the Netherlands realise, and its importance will only continue to grow in the coming years. This also provides us with future commercial opportunities." An interview with Harold Knebel.</p><br/><p>Why are you actually in Australia?</p><br/><p>"To follow the team in the first serious race of the year, but mainly to look at the commercial possibilities of the Tour Down Under. This tour is definitely in the ascendant and its importance will only increase in the coming years. In recent years we've seen in the Tour of California what such a race can mean for the Rabobank guys. There we have a complete programme with former cycling-superstar Hennie Kuiper as host, and that works out really well. I'm here to list the possibilities for Australia."</p><br/><p>In the Netherlands, many cycling fans still regard the Tour Down Under in a fairly patronising way. That it shouldn't mean anything, "That's not at all true. Naturally the race as a whole is something of a sprint, but this is now a very grown-up and exceptionally attractive competition. Once you see what names are lining up here at the start, and how they perform, that says enough. I have enjoyed a week of great cycling, a fantastic atmosphere, all professionally organised and riders who gave the race their all. What more do you need in a stage race?"</p><br/><p>A win from the Rabobank team? "Naturally we wanted to set Brown up for a stage win. But that was not the case. We are not upset about it, although it is good to have a ProTour win behind you. I've been here all week and witnessed how the team got on. The guys were great. We had to keep adapting to the circumstances: Weening feeling sick, Moerenhout's and Clement’s loss of time due to a fall. Silly setbacks. And very strong blocks in the springs. Can't be helped."</p><br/><p>But people at home are still under the impression that it's a training event. "That also has to do with the timing. The Christmas turkey is still being digested, the remains of the fireworks are still on the streets. There's a reason why in the past we used to name the weekend with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne as the opening weekend of the cycling year. Last year we were at Down Under, California and Qatar already before that weekend. The realisation that cycling is going global still has to sink into public consciousness."</p><br/><p>So are we going to have a road-racing season of twelve months in the near future? </p><br/><p>"Cycling is certainly becoming more international. Last week in Australia I learned what cycling means here. It is unknown. We don't oppose the trend of more competitions taking place outside of Europe. Also, these are competitions in which you can earn points, this time for the starting order of cars in the Tour of Flanders, for example. After 2010, maybe even for some of the starting rights in the major races. Who can say?"</p><br/>

<p>The Rabobank team were not successful in keeping Graeme Brown close to the major contenders on Saturday’s fifth stage of the Tour Down Under. Even though the Australian sprinter was well surrounded by teammates Koos Moerenhout (photo) and Stef Clement on the last climb of Old Willunga Hill, he was unable to pull it off. Brown also dropped from the top of the classification that had been Saturday’s main objective. The stage was won by Luis Leon Sanchez, and André Greipel remained in the lead.</p><br/><p>Saturday’s unsuccessful mission was disappointing for the Rabobank team, mainly because developments in the stage had initially fuelled hope that it would be a success. The first passage of the toughest climb in the race went well with Brown, while the tempo in the group was not exactly low at the time. Only Tom Leezer Of the Rabobank team was forced to fall behind, but he regained ground quickly.</p><br/><p>'On the top, margin was doable' Things went a little awry in the second climb. Stef Clement remained close to the team leader in this stage. Koos Moerenhout managed to push through to the front with the big names. "We had agreed on this. Koos would see how things were on the top. If the difference with Graeme was already considerable, he would push on, if not, he would wait." On the top of the hill, team leader Frans Maassen was still hoping, with a margin of just twenty seconds. "So Koos was waiting."</p><br/><p>After the climb in front they pushed on to chase a group of 4 riders who had broken away early. Brown had support from Moerenhout and Clement, but in the chase for the sizeable peloton they found just one other 'ally', Gert Steegmans. "And that wasn't enough. I still hoped that Radioshack would have someone waiting, but that didn't happen. Immediately after the top in particular, it was still doable, but there weren't enough of us", Frans Maassen lamented.</p><br/><p>Last chance Sunday is the last stage, and the test will be twenty laps of 4.5 kilometres in the streets of Adelaide. Frans Maassen: "We continue to hope. But I have to concede that Team High Road and André Greipel are very, very strong here. It would be a pity to return home empty-handed though, but right now this applies for fifteen of the eighteen teams that started out in this race."</p><br/>

<P>Like last year, for Graeme Brown Saturday’s second climb of Old Willunga Hill was the killer. The scene was identical: an ostensibly doable difference on the top, twenty seconds, but no chance at all in the remaining twenty kilometres to the finish. Three hours after the finish the disappointment has faded somewhat, but spirits are still a little diminished. "I wanted it so much, I've worked so hard for it and the guys were fantastic. Yes, this is definitely a major blow." An interview with the Rabobank team leader of the Tour Down Under.</p><br/><p>You hate Old Willunga Hill now, or can you put it into perspective?</p><br/><p>"I can put it into perspective, but this was hard, right after the finish. It is so very disappointing, but I have to admit that I wasn't good enough. And that is still the biggest blow. This week I myself had the feeling that climbing was going better than last year, and the first climb of Old Willunga Hill only reinforced this. A lot of riders had to give up, but I was able to keep going. But at the last climb, I just didn't have it anymore. The light went out."</p><br/><p>What is the actual progression in relation to last year then?</p><br/><p>"I've become stronger, even if the results don't show this. But it feels this way. I can take on difficult terrain more easily, and have more power in the sprints. I had that feeling last week already, in the Jayco Bay Classic, and this has only improved since then. It's just a pity I still cannot convert this into a good result."</p><br/><p>The team is fully behind you in Down Under. "That is indeed a great thing. Today Stef Clement and Koos Moerenhout sacrificed themselves for me. They could have easily gone on with the first group. This week, the team also helped me so much. Jos van Emdem was sometimes even a little too good in the final runs. It's just a pity that Tommie Leezer is not as strong as he was around this time last year, he hasn't reached the form yet. But we are definitely going to accomplish great things this year."</p><br/><p>One more chance tomorrow. Twenty laps.</p><br/><p>"The race in Adelaide will suit me very well. I have already won there, on the same route. But I have to be honest, the chances are not really that great. In the sprints, Team High Road is a little too much for everyone here, and Greipel is also stronger than I am. This doesn't mean I can't win. I would like that very much, because the fans here are amazing. I get goose bumps from this every day."</p><br/><p>The team is returning to Europe on Monday. When will we see you?</p><br/><p>"I'm coming on 10 February. My first race is the Tour of the Algarve. I know, plenty of climbs like Old Willunga Hill. But that's good for me. And anyway, there are also some sprints. And then we can look forward to the Belgian and Dutch semi-classics. Those are my competitions. Like the Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, which I won last year, and The Green Heart. Yes, I do dream of winning a true classic, but we have to remain realistic."</P><br/>

<p>A season opening victory continued to elude Team Rabobank, but it wasn't for the want of trying today as both sprinter Graeme Brown and Dutch time trial champion Stef Clement chased a result during stage four of Australia's Santos Tour Down Under.</p><br/><p>Lunging across the line in third place, Brown came the closest yet to scoring Rabobank's first 2010 UCI Pro Tour victory, but again it was the Tour's overall leader, German Andre Greipel (HTC Columbia), who benefited from being in the slipstream of the strongest lead-out team in the business, scoring his third stage victory for this year's race.</p><br/><p>Negotiating tricky crosswinds towards the end of the 149.5 kilometre stage from Norwood to Goolwa via the Adelaide Hills, Brown received excellent support from his tempo man Rick Flens, who positioned Rabobank's sprinter in the best possible position at the 1 kilometre to go mark.</p><br/><p>From there Rabobank's leadout man Jos Van Emden took over and gave it everything to stay with the Columbia train, before Brown launched an ambitious sprint.</p><br/><p>“I was pretty close to the front, still too far back for the speed of the sprint,” Brown said.</p><br/><p>“I think if I had Greipel's wheel I could have given it a fair nudge for the win.” The result lifted Brown into fifth place on the General Classification, 26 seconds in arrears of Greipel, but very clearly within striking range of fourth placed Belgian Gert Steegmans (Radio Shack), third placed Greg Henderson (Team Sky) and second placed Robbie McEwen (Katyusha).</p><br/><p>The margin between second and fifth is just six seconds and Brown will have his old rival McEwen firmly in his sights when the peloton is confronted with repeat efforts over the summit of Willunga Hill during tomorrow's race defining fifth stage.</p><br/><p>Rabobank's team leader knows anything is possible if he can conquer Willunga Hill ahead of his G.C. rivals.</p><br/><p>“I'm pretty confident that I can do it, I'm climbing really well,” Brown said. “I think it's the best I've ever climbed in my life, so if there's ever a time that I can do it it's tomorrow.”</p><br/><p>If the plan is to succeed, Brown will need the support of his team-mate Stef Clement, who tested his legs with an attacking ride in today's breakaway.</p><br/><p>Clement featured in the move, which started on the climb of Gorge Road, not far out from the race start.</p><br/><p>The Dutch Time Trial Champion was third behind Austria's Thomas Rohregger (Milram) on the day's only KOM climb and was in contention for stage honours until the group was caught inside the final 30 kilometres.</p><br/>

<p>The first glance, the fourth stage of the Tour Down Under seemed to run along the same lines as the first two. A long breakaway, another major sprint and once again, a win for André Greipel. But there were differences. The strong wind turned the final section of the race into a battlefield. And the Rabobank ProTeam was in the picture all day due to the presence of Stef Clement in a long offensive. "Maybe against my better judgement, given the circumstances, but that's how it worked out and I don’t regret it at all." A short interview with Stef.</p><br/><p>In the photo: Stef Clement is awarded the price for the most forceful rider.</p><br/><p>After a few kilometres, were you thinking ‘What have I started here?’</p><br/><p>"Not at all. On the contrary. In days like this, you really are better off staying out of the peloton, with trying to get through openings and pushing, there's the danger that things will go wrong. This wasn't planned, but in retrospect that was a good thing. I enjoyed riding in that group. It was good for the sponsor and in the end I even won the prize for being the most forceful rider. That's an achievement. And it wasn't for nothing."</p><br/><p>You say it wasn't planned as such, but according to Frans Maassen, you need to be attentive to these things.</p><br/><p>"Koos Moerenhout and I were told to pay attention for the bigger breakaways. See, with two people in situations like this, it's one thing. But a group of five or more can really achieve something. It just worked immediately, it was a fluke, because in the neutralisation, a kilometre before the start, Koos and I were riding last and second last. I cycled past the peloton to the front and could get in there right at the start."</p><br/><p>You missed the last part of last season through injury. How are things going for you in Down Under? "Extremely well. I knew what to expect here, because I was here last year. But the conditions are actually good for the moment, the powers of recovery are already at a good level. I'm very positive about this. My intention here is mainly to build up rhythm. The feeling must come back and that objective is definitely being achieved, even though this is certainly not an easy race."</p><br/><p>But for now no real success has been achieved for the Rabobank team. How are you going to do things tomorrow with Brown?</p><br/><p>"He is definitely going to get over Willunga Hill. But when we're on the top there for the last time, we will need to take a look to see where Greipel and the rest of the competition is. The thing is, with those great riders, we don’t want to waste any energy climbing the hill, that's a given. But we still have twenty kilometres to go after the last climb. If a group is gone and you can find allies, such as Greipel with the Team High Road, then a good classification is likely."</p><br/><p>Sunday will be the end of the race, and you’ll be leaving warm Australia for the cold again. A shock.</p><br/><p>"We really have to be careful with this, take things easy for the first week. We can't train outside for too long, and fortunately that won't be necessary, because you have to recover a bit first. After a week we're joining the entire Down Under group and going to Mallorca, where we'll continue to work on preparation. This was already planned, so the team has taken it into consideration. Certainly there's high praise for this transition.”</p><br/>

<p>For the Rabobank team, Friday, the fourth day of the Tour Down Under turned out to be their best so far. Stef Clement pretty much stole the show in a long breakaway and Graeme Brown (left in the photo beside Greipel) eventually came third in the sprint, so the team can be reasonably satisfied, given the situation in Australia. Once again, little could be done about the supremacy of the Team High Road and sprinter André Greipel. The German won his third race of this week.</p><br/><p>Because of the strong wind, the 150-kilometre long stage of Norwood to Goolwa was the most difficult until now. 47 riders fought for the prizes at the finish in Goolwa. Even Lance Armstrong and Alejandro Valverde missed that battle, as they broke down and pulled out of the peloton in the final ten kilometres because of the strong wind. The two top competitors finished in a small group that included Koos Moerenhout and they ultimately lost seventeen seconds.</p><br/><p>Greipel reigns supreme</p><br/><p>Once again, André Greipel’s powerful pedalling reigned supreme in the final sprint, even though the difference with the competition was less pronounced than in the first two days. Behind Greipel it was a case of mere millimetres. Also Graeme Brown, started off well by Jos van Emden and Tom Leezer, remained among the first riders. He lost second place by a hair (Robbie McEwen) and just managed to keep Gert Steegmans off the virtual podium.</p><br/><p>In a breakaway that lasted 135 kilometres, Stef Clement was definitely the man of the day. Six riders, including Clement, got away immediately at the start, however, Team High Road din't give them any room. As a result, the difference constantly fluctuated around three minutes. The Rabobank rider was the only one to remain in the final, but was forced to surrender less than fifteen kilometres from the finish. His competitive drive earned him the prize of the most belligerent rider of the day.</p><br/><p>Brown now fifth</p><br/><p>In the meantime, Graeme Brown climbed to fifth place in the general classification. Team leader Frans Maassen once again considers the final classification. "Saturday will be the decider. Just like last year, we are going over Old Willunga Hill twice. Three kilometres and not to be underestimated." Normally this would be too much for Brown, but Maassen is sticking by last year, when the Australian held on until the very last minutes. "I am sure that Graeme's climbing has improved, so this is going to be exciting. We are quietly hoping for a good classification."</p><br/>

<p><b>Stirling, Australia: 21/1/2010</b></p> <p>Portugal's National Road Race Champion Manual Cardoso ( Footon-Servetto-Fuju) scored the most impressive of wins today, overcoming the pure class of World Champion Cadel Evans and Spain's Alejandro Valverde to claim stage three of the Santos Tour Down Under.<br /> </p><br /> <p>Cardoso sprinted to glory in an uphill finish at the end of a 132.5 kilometre stage that had been earmarked by Australian sprinter Graeme Brown and his Rabobank team-mates as their best chance to claim a stage win.</p> </p><br /> <p>On a day when the temperature soared to 40 degrees, Brown was in the mix until the final 600 metres of the stage, but at the death the marquee sprinters were left behind in conditions that clearly suited the pure climbers.</p> </p><br /> <p>The Rabobank sprinter finished the stage in sixteenth place, and now sits in ninth on the General Classification, still 20 seconds behind overall leader, Germany's Andre Greipel (HTC Columbia).</p> </p><br /> <p>“At the end I was completely gone,” Brown admitted.</p> </p><br /> <p>“I felt really good up until the 600 metres to go and then I really started to feel the whole day's work.”</p> </p><br /> <p>Burying his head in an ice bucket when he reached the Rabobank Team van, a despondent Brown watched as his team-mates staggered home, clearly stressed by the Australian heat.</p> </p><br /> <p>The day started disastrously for Rabobank with climber Pieter Weening forced to abandon minutes ahead of the stage start, suffering from what appeared to be the on-going effects of heatstroke.</p> </p><br /> <p>There were few opportunities to rest on course on a day where the pace was high, driven largely by breakaway efforts from talented young Australians including Simon Clarke (Uni-S.A. Australia) and Jack Bobridge (Garmin Transitions) who ensured the peloton was always chasing.</p> </p><br /> <p>“The weird thing is, the hotter it gets the faster they go,” Rabobank's Dutch National Time Trial Champion Stef Clement said.</p> </p><br /> <p>“Nobody stopped today, they didn't stop attacking, I think the group that went away they got a maximum of 1 minute 30 (seconds) for all day.</p> </p><br /> <p>“Everybody seemed to have less problems with the heat than us.”</p> </p><br /> <p>Tomorrow will offer little respite for the Rabobank Team with the mercury expected to soar above 40 degrees on the 149.5 kilometre stage four from Norwood to Goolwa.</p> </p><br /> <p>Given the conditions and the constant attacks that have been a feature of the race so-far, the likelihood of a successful breakaway will make it difficult for the sprinter's teams, that will need to maintain maximum effort to keep the race together. </p>

<P>Frans Maassen is in Australia for the first time, and is pleasantly surprised by the Tour Down Under.</P><BR> <P>In recent years the cycling season has been brought forward closer to the start of the year, which means racing and preparation starts earlier. The main cause of this is the development of the Tour Down Under which has transitioned from a local tour to the first professional competitive Tour of the season. This year’s tour is Frans Maassen’s first time there as a team leader. "I am particular surprised by the professional level of this tour. In all aspects. This competition is going to become ever more important."</P><BR> <P>What is your general impression after a week in Australia? "It’s a wonderful country with really great people. But of course I don’t mean just that. Initially there is the crazy transition from freezing cold Europe to baking hot Australia. Today, it was forty degrees Celsius, for example. In any case, we’re not used to these temperatures, it's the middle of winter back home. It’s a really odd feeling, sitting outside at a café just two weeks after the winter holidays. It’s actually unreal."</P><BR> <P>But with regards the competition? What does the Tour Down Under actually mean in comparison with European stage races? "A lot. I am particularly surprised by the professional level of this race. The organisation, the route, how we are looked after. Everything is just perfectly organised. I have nothing but praise for this. You also see this in the riders, they are just giving it their all. It is not just a glorified training competition, and obviously this used to be the case. Now it is most definitely the real thing. This competition is going to become ever more important."</P><BR> <P>A major competition so early in the year. Does this make sense? "Many will ask themselves this, but the event is getting more and more praise, also from champions like Armstrong, Evans and Valverde. The ProTour points are still very much sought after. Here it is in part possible to earn a good position in the order of the trailers in the great classics. If you don’t do so well, you can still follow in the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) later on. That reduces your chances considerably in such a major competition."</P><BR> <P>Then something has to happen with the Rabobank team in the coming days? "Yes, and this is why it is such a pity we have lost Pieter Weening. He rode very well here, and during the climbs in the first two days showed he could tackle hills very well. Pieter was well placed in the classification. He could have finished well, and it’s through the classification that the most points are earned. Koos Moerenhout is also good with climbs, but Koos has lost time through bad luck."</P><BR> <P>And now? "We hope that Graeme Brown can catch up the day after tomorrow. That is the most difficult day. Normally that would not be the case, but you never know. Last year he hung on in that stage by the seat of his pants. I have the feeling that this year he is better uphill than last year around this time. So …. But first we’ll try to give him a good start on Saturday for a successful day’s race.”</P><BR>

<p>For the Rabobank team, the third day of the Tour Down Under was not their best to date. The team had to deal with a setback right from the start. Pieter Weening (photo) reported in sick at breakfast. Feeling weak and listless, Weening decided not to ride out this morning. As a result, the Rabobank team did not play a significant role in today’s lively race. The final run was too much for the sprinters, therefore also for Graeme Brown, who came in at sixteenth place. Manuel Cardoso won today’s stage.</p><br/><p>Even so, the team was very hopeful of success. “The boys were counting on André Greipel not being able to accomplish much in the sprint, and Graeme’s success was relying on that.” Team leader Frans Maassen saw all of the sprinters founder in the last kilometre, including his trump card Brown. “Once you see who can finish the race by themselves, then everyone knows enough. This was not a finish for sprinters."</p><br/><p>According to the team leader, Pieter Weening’s absence did not play a big role today. “It is a shame for Pieter, because this could have been his day. He could have tested himself. The top ten in the general classification was within reach and then you become someone to watch.” Weening stated at breakfast that he was not feeling well. The tour doctor gave permission to ride, but at the start the Frisian felt weak and listless, so participation was pointless.</p><br/><p>The race seemed to be going well into the final stage. The finish was at the top of a two-kilometre climb and the Rabobank team train came through the first part with no problems. Tom Leezer and Jos van Emden guided Brown to the front, but a kilometre from the end Leezer could no longer follow. At 500 metres Lance Armstrong broke away, but Van Emden counter-attacked valiantly – so valiantly in fact, that Graeme Brown also had to pass. As a result big names such as world champion Cadel Evans and Vuelta winner Alejandro Valverde were in with a chance to win. However, Portuguese champion Manuel Cardoso surprised pretty much everyone.<p>

<P><B>Hahndorf: 20/1/2010</B></P><BR> <P>Germany's Andre Greipel (HTC Columbia) produced electrifying pace over the final fifty metres today to claim his second consecutive stage victory at the 2010 Santos Tour Down Under and in the process take a stranglehold on the General Classification. </P><BR> <P>On a day of missed opportunities for Team Rabobank, Australian sprinter Graeme Brown was left to dwell on what might have been after finding himself on the wheel of the overall leader with just four hundred metres to go as the race reached the German themed village of Hahndorf.</P> <P></P><BR> <P>“A really strange sprint,” was how Brown described the finale as a selection of the world's fastest men, Allan Davis, Robbie Hunter and Robbie McEwen among them, queued up to take on the impressive HTC Columbia train.</P> <P></P><BR> <P>“I'm never happy when I don't win, you know I was in a good position with 400 metres to go on Greipel's wheel, the eventual winner, and he seemed to have just gave up,” Brown said.</P> <P></P><BR> <P>“I started to do my own sprint and then he won.”</P> <P></P><BR> <P>Brown had his own challenge to confront over the final 200 metres as Katyusha's McEwen chose a left hand line that left the Rabobank sprinter with little room to move.</P> <P></P><BR> <P>“I saw a few gaps so I thought I've got to start my sprint now and I started just at the same time as Robbie (McEwen),” Brown said.</P> <P></P><BR> <P>“I hesitated because he was going towards the fence then I had to keep going again, we were sort of going head to head on the left-hand side but the race passed us on the right hand side.”</P> <P></P><BR> <P>Brown crossed the finish line in 5<SUP>th</SUP> place, leaving him 7<SUP>th</SUP> overall on the general classification, 20 seconds behind Greipel, in a sprinter's race where seconds can effectively mean minutes.</P> <P></P><BR> <P>The Rabobank Team will focus its efforts on tomorrow's stage three from Unley to Stirling, where Brown will attempt to go one better than his second placed result last year to Allan Davis.</P> <P></P><BR> <P>Brown and lead-out man Tom Leezer scouted the stage finish during training last week and believe the hilly profile over the final kilometres will provide their best opportunity to take time back from the German.</P> <P></P><BR> <P>“There's still hope, I like the stage tomorrow, I like the finish tomorrow,” Brown said.</P> <P></P><BR> <P>“It's going to be very tough but I did well on it last year and I think I can again this time.”</P> <P></P><BR> <P>Tomorrow's 132.5 kilometre stage begins at Unley in suburban Adelaide and will head along a coastal route, via the wine growing district of McLaren Vale, before venturing into the Adelaide Hills.</P>

<p>Jos van Emden's (photo), second fully professional season began this January, in the Tour Down Under. The young rider is competing in Australia to serve for sprinter Graeme Brown. “We came here to achieve at least one successful day, and are giving this our all. Sadly today was not as good for me as Monday, otherwise we would be closer to this goal." An interview with Jos van Emden.</p><br/><p>You finished in the first group today. How was your day? "I didn’t feel it was as good as Monday. The best was gone by the time I reached the final part, I had more left over on Monday. It’s a pity about today, because Rick Flens was very good and Tom better than Monday. Coming into the last five kilometres, Rick was formidable. Then I took over, and Tom was supposed to come after me. But the climb three kilometres before the finish did me in. We lost connection with High Road and after that nothing more could be done."</p><br/><p>On Monday you actually had to do it on your own. So you had to go for much longer. "Yes, that’s the crazy thing about it. That actually went well, even if it wasn't possible for Graeme to win. But I was able to get on well in the sprint with Graeme immediately behind me. Normally Tom is behind me, and Graeme is behind him, but Tom was no longer there, and it was an odd feeling to have the captain right behind during such a sprint. At 500 metres I left the High Road train and that was too early."</p><br/><p>Even so, you’re all in good form after two days. Is the chemistry so much better than last year in Down Under? "Absolutely. We rode well then, but forming a team for Graeme was a new thing. It didn’t always go smoothly, but was somewhat successful nonetheless. What’s different now is that we function better automatically. If Tom Leezer goes to the left, Graeme actually knows that beforehand. He anticipates certain things and naturally this increases our chances."</p><br/><p>How hard is the transition from the cold Netherlands to very warm Australia? "You get used to it. Even now I am more comfortable with the heat this year, in comparison with last year. Last year it really was baking hot. What we have noticed is the difference in condition and power in the guys who have spent the winter here. In this, the Aussies have the advantage, they are setting the pace. Graeme is by far the best in our team at the moment, in all aspects."</p><br/><p>And how’s it going with you. How are you hanging in there? "I definitely feel stronger than last year. Logical enough, after a year of major competitions among the great riders. It’s been good for me; I have gained in terms of capacity and strength. And here in Australia? We came here to achieve at least one successful day, and are giving this our all. Sadly today was not as good for me as Monday. But we have considerable confidence in Graeme, as he has in us. This creates composure and peace within the team."</p><br/>

<p>The second stage of the Tour Down Under was very similar to Monday’s stage. Despite a futile long run by three riders, André Greipel was once again the winner, with Graeme Brown (photo) in the second group of sprinters right behind. On Monday he came in seventh, on Tuesday he did slightly better at fifth place. In the general classification in the Australian race, the Rabobank team captain is in seventh place. Jos van Emden climbed to ninth place in the youth classification.</p><br><p>Once again, the peloton started out at a reasonably steady pace. Three aggressors pulled ahead fairly easily, and after 40 kilometres their advantage over the rest had grown to 11:35. Race leader Greipel’s team could not let this continue, but it took until well into the race before the last two attackers were overtaken.<p/><br/><p>Killer hill<p/><br/><p>The peloton then split up in the very difficult last section of the race, partly due to a major fall four kilometres from the finish. This time no one from the Rabobank team was involved. Rick Flens, Jos van Emden, Tom Leezer and Graeme Brown seemed set for a duel with team High Road, but after a strong impetus, a hill three kilometres on proved to be too much for the Rabobank team. Only Tom Leezer had recovered enough to take on this challenge, and this was inadequate against the force of the Team High Road and André Greipel.<p/><br/><p>"Graeme has scored his first ProTour point of the season, and after Monday’s fall, the day is going well for Tom Leezer.” Team leader Frans Maassen saw enough to be optimistic for the rest of the tour. "Last year Graeme also came into his own halfway through the race. Our riders are getting into their stride, you could see this today. It’s going to be fine from here."</p><br/>

<p>HTC Columbia's Andre Greipel lived up to expectation as the man to beat in the 2010 Santos Tour Down Under on what proved to be a challenging day for Rabobank sprinter Graeme Brown and his team-mates on the road from Clare to Tanunda in the Barossa Valley.</p> </p><br /> <p>At the end of 141 kilometres, the German sprinter and 2008 winner of the Tour Down Under showed superior top-end speed to claim the stage ahead of Belgians Gert Steegmans (Radio Shack) and Jurgen Roelandts (Omega Pharma-Lotto).</p> </p><br /> <p>Brown showed impressive form to stay with the contenders over the summit of the final Mengler's Hill climb, 27 kilometres from the finish, but timed his kick a little too early in the finishing straight to claim seventh place, one spot in front of his fierce rival Robbie McEwen (Katyusha). </p><br /> <p>“At 1k to go I had a good position, at 800 metres to go I had a bad position so I thought there's no use having good legs and coming 20^th,” Brown said.</p> </p><br /> <p>“So I started my sprint at 500 metres to go and it's just too long.</p> </p><br /> <p>“I was already pretty much flat out when Greipel started his sprint and I just had to hang on.”</p> </p><br /> <p>Of greater concern to Team Rabobank management was the condition of Brown's team-mates who will play crucial roles in coming days as they chase stage wins for their sprinter and attempt to keep Brown in contention for the general classification.</p> </p><br /> <p>Three Rabobank riders, Stef Clement, Tom Leezer and Rick Flens were caught up in a massive pileup, just after the start of today's stage in Clare.</p> </p><br /> <p>The crash was serious enough to destroy one of Leezer's wheels, but Clement sustained the worst physical damage from a shunt that left him in serious pain.</p> </p><br /> <p>“It was the first official crash of the season and it happened after 200 metres, not even in the real race, it was in the neutralisation,” Clement said.</p> </p><br /> <p>“I visited the chiropractor yesterday and I think I should revisit her today, because I've got a little pain in the back, in the elbow and in the neck because someone drove into me.”</p> </p><br /> <p>“That's cycling and tomorrow let's hope we'll get out of the crashes.</p> </p><br /> <p>With team mechanics expected to work long into the night repairing crashed bikes, Rabobank will shift focus to tomorrow's 133.5 kilometre stage from Gawler to Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills where Brown is confident of being in the mix, should the race finish in a sprint.</p> </p><br /> <p>“I'm disappointed that I didn't win, but on the other hand I know I'm going well, I was in the front group of riders over Mengler's Hill so I'm pretty happy.”</p> </p><br /> <p>Hahndorf is traditionally one of the most popular stage finishes at the Santos Tour Down Under and a capacity crowd is expected to line the streets of the German themed village in the Adelaide Hills. </p>

<p>Tuesday’s first stage of the Tour Down Under did not yield the result the Rabobank team had hoped for. Graeme Brown was unable to withstand the oiled machine of the Team High Road during the final sprint. Brown’s most important asset in the final part, Tom Leezer (photo), quit twenty kilometres before the finish, owing to an early fall and a subsequent lack of form. &quot;The consequences of the fall are not serious, but are a factor if the final becomes difficult. But I wasn’t in the best shape.&quot; </p><br /> <p><strong>A short interview with Tom Leezer.</strong></p><br /> <p>A good start to the season is different.</p> <p>&quot;Yeah. I too had imagined it differently. The Cancer Council Classic on Sunday went well, but of course that was a race of just one hour. Today we hadn’t gone one kilometre and I was on the ground. In the middle of the peloton, right in front of me, to my right and my left, riders were falling. There was no stopping it.&quot;</p><br /> <p>The consequences?</p> <p>&quot;I think it will be okay. Of course you get a bad fright, but I’m happy to say I didn’t suffer too many scrapes. I didn’t slide over the road surface; rather I bounced around a little bit. I landed on my hip, which wasn’t so good, because throughout that stage I had the feeling that I was slightly crooked on my bike. The race doctor has already been, and an Australian osteopath is coming by later. Graeme Brown organised this.&quot;</p><br /> <p>You were forced to fall behind at the end. Because of the fall?</p> <p>&quot;Yes and no. Naturally it wasn’t quite right and it doesn’t help if you have a climb when entering the homestretch. This forced me to give up. I have to be honest, today was not a good day for me. It just didn’t feel right. My legs were certainly far from super. Graeme needed me in the sprint, but there’s nothing more to be done about it. We still have five more chances this week. We aim to win one stage and I have great hopes of this.&quot;</p><br /> <p>Last year you yourself also scored a good placing in the Tour Down Under. How will this week go?</p> <p>&quot;If I can stay with Graeme in the final sprints, I will automatically score a good placing. I’m hoping for this. As today wasn’t so great, I still feel that tomorrow is another day and things can improve. In any case, I certainly haven’t given up hope.&quot;</p><br /> <p>And then there are the big races next spring. Any ambitions of your own?</p> <p>&quot;Here, we are pushing for Graeme, this is where he has the greatest chance of success. I myself would like to be ready at the Belgian Opening Weekend. After that there’ll be my races, and that period lasts for six weeks. I’m aiming for a good victory in a semi-classic. I should be able to achieve this. I expect that I have become even stronger, and my experience is also increasing. The Tour of the Green Heart in Holland seems exactly the right race for me.&quot;</p><br />

<P>Brown seventh in first stage</P><BR> <P>Graeme Brown 7th in the 1st stage. Three Rabobank team members involved in a pile-up.</P><BR> <P>The race has started in the Tour Down Under, the first ProTour competition of the season. After 141 kilometres in the searing heat, German André Greipel triumphed in what is now almost his traditional victory on Australian soil, in the sprint in Tanunda. Rabobank sprinter Graeme Brown (photo) could not play a significant role in this, as he was missing the support of two team-mates, Tom Leezer and Rick Flens, both of whom came in trailing well behind, partly due to a fall at the start of the race.</P><BR> <P>Just one kilometre into the race the peloton came unstuck, when someone in the middle of the group made a steering mistake, causing 40 competitors to crash. Despite the considerable havoc that ensued, fortunately injuries were not serious. Rabobank team members Tom Leezer, Rick Flens and Stef Clement were involved in the incident. Team leader Frans Maassen was shocked, but to his relief damage was limited to superficial grazes and some twisted bicycles.</P><BR> <P>Bit of a shock</P><BR> <P>"You get a fright when you see half the peloton go down like that. I was thinking ‘that can’t be it, surely?” said Frans Maassen. "But luckily everyone was alright. Later on there’ll be an Australian osteopath coming to the hotel to see if he can help us out, he’s a friend of Graeme Brown’s. On the face of it the damage doesn’t seem too serious, but we also want to prevent a situation in which the boys are not comfortable on their bikes."</P><BR> <P>All those involved in the crash were able to rejoin the peloton quickly, but three participants managed to avoid it and get ahead. The three managed to gain an advantage of up to ten minutes, but with the finale in sight, the ‘Team High Road‘ in particular gave great chase. Before the last obstacle of the day, a short but murderous climb, the stragglers caught up with the leaders. However, the climb was too much for many in the peloton, including Leezer and Flens.</P><BR> <P>"In the sprint, we missed Tommie Leezer especially. He plays an important part in setting Graeme’s pace. Nevertheless, I don’t think we would have won today”, admitted team leader Maassen. “Our goal this week is still a stage victory. And with Brown on the team, I have great hopes of getting close to this. He is in very good shape."</P><BR>

<p><b>Adelaide, Australia</b></p> <br /> <p>British Team Sky burst onto Cycling's UCI Pro Tour scene today with a one-two result in the Santos Tour Down Under curtain raiser, The Cancer Council Helpline Criterium, but there were also promising signs for Rabobank on a day when luck wasn't on sprinter Graeme Brown's side.</p> <br /> <p>With an estimated crowd of 100,000 watching the international season opener, it was former Rabobank domestique Matt Hayman who delivered the result for his sprinter, Greg Henderson of New Zealand.<br /> <br /> </p> <p>Hayman's fine display of tempo riding on the final lap of the 51 kilometre criterium nullified the much-hyped leadout train of Team Columbia HTC's Andre Greipel and it was only a miscalculation on the penultimate corner that prevented Rabobank's speed merchant Graeme Brown from featuring in the final analysis.</p> <br /> <p>“The last major corner, the second-last corner, I just got squeezed out on the outside,” Brown said.</p> <br /> <p>“I lost a few positions and I had to do too much work to get back there and it just didn't work.</p> <br /> <p>“Sometimes you've got to have a bit of luck and today wasn't my day.”</p> <br /> <p> In what could only be described as a triumphant day for the sport of cycling in Australia, with record crowds in attendance and an Australian, Cadel Evans, on the start line in the rainbow jersey, it was the great Texan Lance Armstrong who stole the show early on.</p> <br /> <p>Racing in the colours of his new team, Radio Shack, the seven-time Tour de France winner featured in a four-man breakaway that was always doomed to be reeled in, given the high stakes for the sport's marquee sprinters.<br /> <br /> </p> <p>While success didn't come Brown's way today, the four-time Tour Down Under stage winner is feeling confident ahead of Tuesday's first stage of the UCI Pro Tour's season opener.</p> <br /> <p>“Yeah I'm happy, there's a few little things in the race that make me know that I've got good legs, so I'm pretty happy with it,” Brown said.<br /> <br /> </p> <p>Rabobank's lead-out man for the TDU, Tom Leezer, also felt better for the first-up hit-out, after struggling in recent days to acclimatise to Australian conditions.</p> <br /> <p>“Not that bad, pretty good actually, it's always a bit strange the first race and also because it's a really really fast circuit with corners,” Leezer said.</p> <br /> <p>“It went O'K, only the last corner we missed it, so probably the sprint, we lost it in the last corner or before the last corner.”</p> <br /> <p>Tuesday's stage one of the Tour Down Under will take the peloton on a 141 kilometre journey from Clare to Tanunda in the Barossa Valley wine growing region.</p> <br /> <p>The mostly flat parcours should produce a sprint finish, giving the Rabobank Team an opportunity to deliver a result for Graeme Brown. </p>

<p>Actions spoke much louder than words yesterday as the Rabobank Pro Cycling Team ventured out on a serious course reconnaissance mission ahead of next week's Tour Down Under in Adelaide, Australia.</p> <br /> <p>Showing promising form, Australian sprinter Graeme Brown led the team over the summit of Willunga Hill, a short but potentially race defining power climb, that in previous years has decided the fate of many of the marquee sprinters vying for overall honours in the UCI Pro Tour opener.</p> <br /> <p>“I felt great, no problem at all,” Brown said as the team stopped at the village of Meadows mid-ride to visit a donut shop, recommended by Adelaide's most famous cycling product Stuart O'Grady.</p> <br /> <p>After winning a stage in the 2009 Tour Down Under, his fourth stage victory in the race's short history, Brown struggled on the Willunga climb and lost valuable time, putting him out of contention for the G.C.  It was a disappointing outcome for the Rabobank team, given at one stage Brown had shared the G.C. lead with eventual winner Allan Davis.</p> <br /> <p>Conserving his energy during the long training ride, Rabobank cyclist and three-time Dutch time trial champion Stef Clement was impressed with Brown's form.</p> <p> </p> <p>“We went to see Willunga Hill today, it's supposed to be the most important stage of the Tour Down Under, we went to look and feel Willunga Hill and we also did some exercises in speed, some leadouts for our sprinter, (Graeme) Brown,” Clement said.</p> <br /> <p>“He looks in good shape, he's always very motivated for the Tour Down Under so it's very promising.”</p> <br /> <p>Clement is returning to Australia for his second Tour Down Under and is eager to get back into racing after a nagging foot injury ended his 2009 season following the Tour de France.</p> <br /> <p>After enduring 30 plus degree temperatures for the first time here yesterday during the team's 140 kilometre training ride, Clement admitted the race would be challenging.</p> <br /> <p>“Last year I didn't know what to expect but this time I know that this is a hard race, this is a serious race, this is a Pro Tour race, this is not a holiday,” Clement said.</p> <br /> <p>“I like it better than doing a training camp and I've done enough training weeks already, the mind is open for races now.”</p> <br /> <p>The Tour Down Under starts next Tuesday, January 19^th, but will be preceded tomorrow by the Cancer Council Helpline Classic, a criterium race in the heart of Adelaide featuring the Tour Down Under teams, where Rabobank sprinter Graeme brown gets the chance to open his 2010 season with a victory.</p>

We go behind the scenes with the Rabobank team mechanic Tim Dejonghe, checking out bikes the Rabobank team will ride at Tour Down Under and also ask his impressions on the new Shimano electronic shifting system the team will use this year in Europe.

Graeme Brown's leadout man Tom Leezer talks about his role supporting the Rabobank sprinter at Tour Down Under and shares his experiences of pre-race training in Australia.

Rabobank's three-time Dutch Time Trial Champion Stef Clement talks about his role supporting Australian sprinter Graeme Brown as the team scouts the crucial Willunga Hill climb.

<P>Enjoying a rare break from the intense training and racing that goes with being a cyclist on the UCI Pro Tour, The Rabobank Pro Cycling Team took in the sights of Adelaide yesterday on one of Australia's most famous 'coffee rides'.</P><br /> <P>With sprinter Graeme Brown once again acting as tour guide, The Rabobank Team set off on a journey along Adelaide's spectacular beaches, from Port Adelaide, via Larg's Pier and Henley Beach, to the popular cafe strip at Glenelg.</P><br /> <P>Standing out among the coffee shop crowd in his Dutch Road Champion's jersey, veteran professional Koos Moerenhout admitted to having a “sort of a holiday feeling” as he sipped coffee and relaxed, just days out from the start of the Tour Down Under.</P><br /> <P>“It's about 30 degrees, sunny, we had a nice two hour ride alongside the beach,” Moerenhout said.</P><br /> <P>“It's very hard the race itself, but outside the race it's much more relaxed than the first races in Europe.”</P><br /> <P>A two time winner of his National Road Championship, Moerenhout has fond memories of Adelaide.</P><br /> <P>The respected professional of 15 years standing won a criterium event associated with the Tour Down Under here in 2001.&nbsp; A victory he still describes in light hearted terms as “the first pro victory of the new millenium”.</P><br /> <P>“Yeah, that's ten years ago, already a long time ago, the first stage criterium in Adelaide and I won there solo ,” Moerenhout recalled.</P><br /> <P>“That was also my first time in Australia, it was a nice win.”</P><br /> <P>Ten years later, Moerenhout finds himself as a key member of the team that will support Australian sprinter Graeme Brown in a race where Rabobank has high hopes.</P><br /> <P>“First of all we've got the sprinter Graeme Brown, he's in shape, he showed that in the races in Australia before this one,” Moerenhout said.</P><br /> <P>“We're going to look after him and hopefully he can get some good results in the sprint.</P><br /> <P>“Besides that, we have to control the race to make it sometimes a bunch sprint.”</P><br /> <P>The Rabobank Pro Cycling Team will step up its pre-tour preparation today when the riders set off on a 5-hour training ride where they will conduct reconnaissance of the testing Willunga Hill climb.</P><br /> <P>Should Brown find form in the sprints early on, Willunga could decide whether or not Brown features in the race for the General Classification.</P><br />

Dutch road race champion Koos Moerenhout talks about the feeling of being "on holidays" in Adelaide and his experiences of the Tour Down Under.

<P>The screeching sound of Australia’s mythical black cockatoo heralded the arrival of the Rabobank Pro Cycling Team yesterday as the riders ventured into the Adelaide hills for their first serious training session ahead of next week’s Santos Tour Down Under. </P><br /> <P>With the team’s Australian connection, sprinter Graeme Brown, acting as tour guide Rabobank enjoyed a taste of the spectacular Australian countryside while dusting off the effects of a long haul flight across the world from icy Europe. </P><br /> <P>According to team manager Frans Maassen, when most of the riders left home in The Netherlands, the temperature was minus 5 degrees celsius. Fortunately, Rabobank’s arrival in Adelaide coincided with the end of a heatwave which had driven temperatures high into the forties. </P><br /> <P>When the team ventured out yesterday for a 100 kilometre training session, conditions were mild and light rain was falling on the gentle climb of Gorge Road, a popular tourist drive into the Adelaide Hills that provided captivating scenery. </P><br /> <P>“It’s a little hilly up the Gorge and the boys, some of them found it a little tough,” Brown said. </P><br /> <P>“It’s the jetlag and the different changing weather I guess, but it was a pretty quick trip home.” </P><br /> <P>Brown’s role won’t be limited to travel agent duties, having been given the responsibility of leading the Rabobank Pro Cycling Team for the opening race of the 2010 UCI Pro Tour. </P><br /> <P>In a race suited to sprinters, the dual Athens Olympics track gold medallist is targeting stage victories at the very least and hasn’t ruled out contending for the General Classification. </P><br /> <P>“Our first objective is to win a stage, second objective is to win two stages,” the laconic Brown said. “The third will be to try for overall classification, it’s not the main priority but it’s definitely something personally I’d like to do.” </P><br /> <P>Rabobank’s team for the Santos Tour Down under has been structured to suit Brown’s needs and will feature leadout man Tom Leezer, Dutch road champion Koos Moerenhout, Dutch time trial champion Stef Clement, Rick Flens, Jos van Emden and Pieter Weening. </P><br /> <P>“This is a race for the sprinters, they say, and we built the team a little around Graeme, he’s our Australian hope this week,” Team Manager Frans Maassen said. </P><br /> <P>“I think he’s in good condition and he has some help from Tom Leezer in the sprint, he is the last man to lead out and we also have (Jos) van Emden who can do some work in the sprints and Rick Flens who can do something.” </P><br /> <P>Brown will be among the leading contenders when racing begins Sunday, January 17th with the Cancer Council Helpline Classic, a pre-race criterium in Adelaide city that has become part of Tour Down Under tradition. </P><br /> <P>The race proper will commence Tuesday, January 19th, with a 141 kilometre road stage from Clare to Tanunda in the Barossa Valley wine growing region. </P><br />

Rabobank sprinter Graeme Brown describes the team training ride through the Torrens River Gorge and assesses his goals for the Santos Tour Down Under.

Rabobank Team Manager Frans Maassen talks about today's training ride and the team that will support Graeme Brown at the Santos Tour Down Under.

<P>Standing: Rick Flens, Koos Moerenhout, Tom Leezer, Jos van Emden, Pieter Weening and Stef Clement</P> <P>In front: Tim Dejonghe, Frans Maassen and Walter Boom

<H2>No new surprises on final day</H2> <P>On the Champs Elyssées on Sunday, a sequel to Juanma Garate's grand stage victory on Mont Ventoux on Saturday was not on the books at all. Oscar Freire, supported by Juan Antonio Flecha, tried, but the Spaniard gave up 500 metres before the finish when he ended up in a bad position. It was impossible to stand up against the might that Team Columbia displayed in the preparation to the mass sprint. Mark Cavendish won with a gap of ten lengths. He defeated his own pacemaker Mark Renshaw of all people.</P> <P>What remained was a look back on a Tour that for the Rabo team received some colour only in the last weekend through Juanma Garate's explosive victory on Ventoux. Although the team had started with aspirations for the classification with captains Denis Menchov and Robert Gesink, those expectations were toned down a week into the tour. At that point Gesink had left the Tour with a wrist fracture and Menchov was not in shape. The team also had to deal with many setbacks in the form of falls, injuries, and even an air gun shooting by wayward youth causing injury to Oscar Freire.</P> <H3>No panic</H3> <P>Team manager Erik Breukink (pictured) never panicked and maintained a calm outlook. Public opinion demanded a tough approach, but Breukink refused. "Getting emotional will not get us anywhere. Creating unrest does not help in the situation we found ourselves in." He watched the setbacks pile up, but got over that quickly. "We did not want to create a foul mood in the team. It was important to maintain calm and to live by the day and seek chances."</P> <P>But what went wrong exactly with Denis Menchov, winner of the Giro and one of the favourites for the victory?</P> <P>Breukink: "Denis rode the Giro before the Tour last year as well, but then he was not a contender and he was able to stay out of the spotlight in that Giro. This year the Giro was a goal in and of itself. He took the leader's jersey in the second week and looking back on it we have to admit that it was really tough job to defend that jersey for eleven days. That took a lot of physical and mental strength. He also fell in the final stage. He has had problems with the hip he fell on for a long time."</P> <P>Breukink didn't foresee that it had taken too much of Denis' strength: "No. We believed that it did not have to be a handicap. It was possible he would be good for the Tour again. It also looked like that. Denis indicated before the start that he felt good. But he could not do it. Denis was very disappointed by that too because he, like us, had had high hopes about the Tour."</P> <H3>Stunt Garate</H3> <P>In the end Juanma Garate's stunt on the final Saturday brought champagne to the Rabo camp. At that point Breukink was not expecting that anymore. "We only stood a chance in an escape. That is hard enough as it is. After that the escapees have to get a large lead and the top riders must not explode on Ventoux. You do the math." </P> <P>In the end everything worked out for Garate and the team on Saturday. "But we deserved that after all the bad luck we had had," felt the team manager. "The Tour remains an unpredictable phenomenon. It is always possible. That is proven again now."</P>

<H2>'Winning on the Ventoux is twice as rewarding' </H2> <P>On the second to last day of the Tour, the Rabobank team still had a reason to celebrate. It was on the most mythical mountain of the Tour de France, Mont Ventoux, that the team struck, riding the legs of Juan Manuel ‘Juanma’ Garate (pictured).</P> <P>In the moon landscape of the Ventoux at a height of almost two thousand metres, the Spaniard overpowered his German fellow escapee Tony Martin in the final meters of the race. The Tour, which had until now brought a lot of adversity and misfortune, became brighter for the Rabo team. </P> <P>This gave even more reason for the team to go crazy after Juanma Garate's dazzling stage victory. Team leader Frans Maassen used his headset to scream in his rider's ears. "You are a hero." </P> <P>Rider Laurens ten Dam was having a party en route with the Dutch fans, who had told him that Garate had managed to break the curse. Erik Breukink appeared calm on the outside, but was shining on the inside. "I think this is absolutely fantastic for the team, but especially for Juanma. The man has been falsely abused by outsiders, which he never deserved. We can start popping the champagne bottles."</P> <P>Juanma Garate only found confidence in the final five hundred metres that his attempt might be successful. Frans Maassen, however, had already been able to control his nerves a bit earlier. “At three kilometres from the finish, I was already getting the feeling that it could be a legitimate chance. I tried to calmly inform Juanma about it, but that was not easy," smiled Maassen. </P> <P>His colleague Erik Breukink had far more confidence earlier on. "First, when the gap was ten minutes and later on the climb of Ventoux when the gap remained stable around two minutes."</P> <H3>Cease-fire</H3> <P>Of course the 'cease-fire' agreement signed by the world class riders on Ventoux put the escapees in a good position. "Obviously, the progress of the stage needs to be on your side to win the race, but until now we had not been blessed with that fortune. Today, the race put us in the perfect position. Otherwise, it would have become difficult," admitted Erik Breukink. It had been indicated during the pre-stage meeting how important it was to have a man in an escape, particularly during this stage. Breukink: "That is because we do not have a finisher here like we had with Oscar on Friday. They went to work with that assignment and in the end two of our best men were there."</P> <P>Joost Posthuma also did surprisingly well on the final climb. He already fell behind near the foot of the mountain when Garate initiated two accelerations, but the difference between Garate and Martin on one hand and Posthuma on the other was never bigger than a minute, until the final kilometre. While one rider after the other of the sixteen men lead group was gobbled up by the top class riders, it was Posthuma who stayed ahead for a long time. "A performance by Joost that is praiseworthy," judged Breukink. "He rides uphill wonderfully well here and it is not exactly an average climb."</P> <H3>"More than a classic"</H3> <P>The team leader felt most happy for Garate. "Outsiders have seriously questioned our decision to select Juanma for the Tour, and it was heavily criticised. People apparently do not see the amount of work he does in a race, how valuable he is and that he has the ability to focus on a specific race. He is the ideal man for your team. Juanma did not give up and continued to work, just like the team, which always pays off. Winning here is more important than a classic. It is twice as rewarding and it is something we can put into our pockets."</P>

<H2>Breukink: 'No other option than to pursue'</H2> <P>With two days left, the Rabobank team is still empty handed in the Tour.</P> <P>At first, everything seemed to go wrong again on Friday, but a remarkable initiative by the team almost caused a turnaround. But in the end the result was minimal. </P> <P>Oscar couldn't manage a good enough performance in the final kilometre. The team was, nevertheless, given respect by the pack, remarked Grischa Niermann. Team leader Erik Breukink said that his team did not have any other option than to start a mad pursuit in order to catch the nineteen-men lead group, which subsequently resulted in the fastest stage of the Tour — the average speed was 46 kilometres per hour.</P> <P>Grischa Niermann, one of the Rabo riders who stood out in the long pursuit, noticed that the respect for his team grew rapidly. "It really hasn't been our Tour, but we showed today that we can fight. Our successful attempt to close the gap has resulted in the respect from other teams. They probably thought it was some sort of punishment training, but we kept everything under control quite quickly." </P> <P>It was to no avail in the end. "You know that your chances are not optimal, but we had to," said Niermann.</P> <H3>Under control</H3> <P>"We did not have any other alternatives today," elaborated team leader Erik Breukink on the pursuing efforts by the Rabo team. "The lead group was very big and we were not represented. We started riding immediately and kept the gap small. It is no use closing it immediately because you will lose too much energy, but we kept it under control and gradually started accelerating. At a certain moment we were joined by other teams, even though that support came reasonably late. We caught them on the climb and then during the remainder of that ascent it was Denis who took the lead up front in order to monitor everything."</P> <P>Breukink never panicked on route. "The composition of the lead group would have only offered some good opportunities for some of our guys. Hence, we figured that a sprint with Oscar would give us more chance. Those are the sort of chances that you have to look for, because if we do not ride, then we certainly do not win. You hope that the sprinters fall behind, but unfortunately that was not the case." </P> <P>Freire told Breukink after the race that he was not in top condition during the sprint. "He said that he had suffered on route, and that is when you miss that extra energy that you need in the sprint."</P> <H3>Survival on Ventoux</H3> <P>With the stage to Mont Ventoux on Saturday and the final stage on Sunday coming up, the Tour is almost history. "Tomorrow will be all about surviving for us. The classification riders will battle for the victory. We still have a tiny chance with Oscar on Sunday, but there is very little we can do against Cavendish. That is why it was a shame that the sprinters were still in the front after the final climb. Our chances for a stage victory would have been bigger. Anyway, we showed that we can close the gap and that we continue to keep our heads up high as a team."</P>

<H2>‘Contador the best in all respects’</H2> <P>Before Thursday’s stage it was already clear that a surprise by a Rabo rider was not going to happen. </P> <P>The top specialist for races against the clock in major tours, Denis Menchov, has not been in the race for two weeks, broken both mentally and physically. The Russian fell hard twice on Wednesday, and his time was therefore disappointing. </P> <P>However, Stef Clement (pictured) and Joost Posthuma did everything they could to score well on Thursday. Their efforts made team manager Erik Breukink happy. "They performed adequately and should be happy with the result."</P> <P>Stef Clement more or less even surprised himself. His Tour so far has been disappointing. Although he had started with high hopes after his excellent performance in the Dauphiné Libéré. Clement said "So far it has been pretty much nothing. Also because of setbacks, but still. It was not my intention to completely rip myself apart today, but I got a couple of text messages and they inspired me. Friends sent me messages that today would be ‘my day.’ That boosted my morale and then I couldn't disappoint them."</P> <H3>Posthuma not really happy</H3> <P>Joost Posthuma rode towards a good 25th time. He was not really satisfied, however. "The time trial went well, but the steep climb was a bit too much for me. I lost quite a bit of time there. Too bad, because other than that my rhythm was good." </P> <P>On Wednesday he had indicated he was feeling good. "I feel like I am going to come out of this tour in good shape. Today's shape was the same as I had at the start, but I haven't had a lot of luck. The last few days I have been feeling like I am at 100% again."</P> <P>Laurens ten Dam later indicated that he had held back a bit. "I woke up this morning and felt a bit off. It is mostly about saving strength. I decided to start calmly." Ten Dam's focus is also more on Friday's stage. "There was not much to win for me today. I have to try to get a good result tomorrow or the day after. I think we are going to have a hellish start tomorrow. I remember that from last year's Tour, when the final Friday was absolutely terrible."</P> <H3>'Menchov's edge is gone'</H3> <P>Team manager Erik Breukink agreed that Stef Clement and Joost Posthuma had ridden a good time trial. "They went all out and the result is that they are the best two Rabo guys today. They performed adequately and can definitely be satisfied with a good result." According to Breukink, it made sense that Laurens ten Dam and Denis Menchov did not perform at 100%. "They've lost the edge. Laurens indicated this morning that he was not feeling well and Denis fell twice yesterday." </P> <P>Breukink thought Alberto Contador deserved to win the time trial. "He had to fight for it, but he showed that in this Tour he is the best in all respects."</P>

<H2>(Tour) ‘Hoping for a little more room’</H2> <P>After two and a half weeks of relative calm between the top riders, the Tour finally 'exploded' on Wednesday. </P> <P>The brothers Andy and Frank Schleck lit the fuse in the true queen's stage in which as many as five Alps had to be climbed. Only Alberto Contador, who holds the yellow, was able to follow them. All others lost many minutes. Last year's Tour winner, Carlos Sastre, almost eight minutes. Denis Menchov (pictured) played a role. For a long time he was a part of an escape, but he 'perished' on the last climb and lost 21 minutes in the end.</P> <P>"They were not given enough room. One minute at the start of the finale is not enough. It should have been at least four." Rabo team manager Erik Breukink quickly figured out at the start of the extremely heavy climax that the escape with Denis Menchov was not going to hold. Before the Russian's two crashes Breukink had seen that his captain made a good impression in the lead group. "I really felt that Denis was amongst the better in the front. It looked good, but it got harder when after he fell twice in a short time span."</P> <H3>'Saxo smelled an opportunity'</H3> <P>Breukink also saw a strong Menchov at the start of the seventeenth stage. "Denis was on the lead group right at the start of the first mountain. Unfortunately they were not immediately given room, which you absolutely need. But Saxo smelled an opportunity for a stage victory and kept it short. On the last but one climb, the Col de Romme, the gap was only a minute, while you need at least four." But except for the small lead it did go as the Rabo team wanted. "Being along on an escape is still our plan. And that went really well with Denis today."</P> <P>Menchov had to fight to stay on the lead group. He had to close a gap twice because he had fallen. "Falling twice is not really good for morale," stated Breukink. "But he came back, which shows character. Luckily the injuries don't seem too bad." Breukink does not expect that Menchov will ride a strong time trial on Thursday. "His position right now is of course very disappointing, also for him. It makes it more difficult to charge yourself for a time trial."</P> <H3>Tested method</H3> <P>Laurens ten Dam was along on Tuesday, today Menchov. It looks like the Rabo is beginning to ride better. "We always tried to be along, but now we pull it off a couple of times in a row. Including Flecha in the stage to Verbiers. This is also the best way to try to get a success. And that is also what we plan to do after the time trial," said Breukink, showing the Rabo team's combative attitude. "But then they have to get some room from the pack. You really need that. Friday is most suitable for that I guess."</P>

<H2>Ten Dam was the right man up front</H2> <P>The sixteenth stage of the Tour took the riders to the top of both Saint-Bernards - two long climbs. A strong lead group was formed quickly, with among others, Rabobank's Laurens ten Dam. En route to the summit of the Petit Saint-Bernard, the second climb, he could no longer keep up with the attacks that were initiated up front, and ended up in the group of favourites. </P> <P>During the descent to the arrival town of Bourg-Saint-Maurice, ten Dam saw two crashes happen close to him, after which he decided to give up some ground. Mikel Astarloza turned out to be the strongest escapee up front. He claimed the stage victory, while Alberto Contador easily managed to hold on to the yellow jersey. </P> <P>Unforunately, Rabobank rider Juan Manuel Garate (pictured) took ill during the stage. </P> <P>Team leader Erik Breukink drove behind the fighting ten Dam and saw him ride a good race. "We have been trying to compete for stage victories since the start of the Tour, but right now it's even more important to have someone in the front ranks. Fortunately, ten Dam was there and he is the right man for stages such as this one. In order to really have a chance at winning, you must have the right legs, which didn't happen in this case. But if you compare this to the way ten Dam rode last week, we can conclude that he is doing much better."</P> <H3>Garate ill</H3> <P>As well as ten Dam, Juan Manual Garate is another Rabobank rider who usually excels in races like these. </P> <P>Looking ahead to Wednesday's tough stage, Garate could very well be an important contributor. "Unfortunately, Garate is a bit ill," reported Breukink. "He is hindered by bronchitis and he is on antibiotics. That is absolutely not ideal looking at the week that has just started." </P> <P>Breukink is still optimistic that Menchov will have a good day. "Of course he can forget about the classification, but he has disclosed that he wants to give it a try once he feels better. We need to wait and see what is possible in tomorrow's stage."</P> <P>The Tour does not have a lot of uphill arrivals this year. "That has two consequences," explains Breukink. "Because the riders descend towards the finish, they are inclined to take more risks, which will automatically make a relatively easy descent like the one today a hazardous adventure. Secondly, it also results in a different type of race. There is less excitement on the final climb." </P> <P>It is still heavy going though. "Tomorrow the riders will need to conquer some more heavy climbs and the stage will end with a pesky descent. We need to hope for a good performance from the team."</P>

<H2>‘Denis broke when he couldn't keep up’</H2> <P>The classification riders showed themselves in front during the final climb in the fifteenth stage to Verbier. It turned out that Denis Menchov (pictured) did not have the legs to climb with the best. He passed the finish line in 65th place, over six minutes after victor Alberto Contador. </P> <P>Contador now wears the yellow jersey.</P> <P>During the stage it looked like the Rabobank team was going to miss the escape of the day, but in the end Juan Antonio Flecha managed to join the lead group after a strong pursuit. The adventure of the escapees did not end until the final climb. </P> <P>Team manager Erik Breukink was also surprised that Flecha was the Rabo rider in the front. “He is the one you'd least expect it from. After all, his injury really bothers him, but he was still on the escape of the day. A few guys were too close in the classification, however, which is why they were never given any real room. But if you want to play you have to have someone in the front.”</P> <P>In any case, Flecha had not been sent to the front to assist Menchov on the concluding time. “That was too steep, so Flecha would not have been able to do much when the top riders took off.”</P> <H3>Tried anyway</H3> <P>In the end it turned out that was unnecessary, because Menchov did not have the legs to go along. “Denis Menchov and Laurens ten Dam were still in the front at the start of the climb. But Menchov was unable to play along in the brutal violence. He tried initially, but did not persist in the end. He broke when he could not keep up,” observed Breukink. </P> <P>The classification is over for Menchov, so the question is whether he can go for a stage victory. “He will now get some room, but the question is how his shape is after the resting day. We will have to see on Tuesday.”</P> <P>Second team manager Frans Maassen is now hoping for a stage victory in the final week. “Denis clearly fell short today. We were optimistic this morning because we had seen progression with him. But it was not there at all today. That much is clear. We will now have to completely focus on stages.”</P> <H3>Ten Dam can still do it</H3> <P>In the end Laurens ten Dam was the first Rabo rider to pass the finish. “We had properly delivered Denis to the start of the climb, after that I continued at my own pace. The guys in the front went way too fast for me then. After a kilometre and a half I all of a sudden saw a Rabo rider in front of me. I first hoped that it was Garate, but it turned out to be Denis. A pity... he parked completely and gave up. The classification was really over for us then. I stayed with him for a bit, but I got a rush from all those people on the climb, including many Dutch. I really couldn't keep going at that snail’s pace, so I sped up for a while.”</P> <P>Ten Dam also believes the tactics for the final week will change. “I am hoping I can go along myself as well. Today was a signal for me that it is still possible. I might be able to be on an early escape. It is now realistic to think about that. It certainly wasn't a couple of days ago.”</P> <P>Ten Dam reflects on the stage “We started the day good as a team. Flecha, Grischa, Joost, Oscar, and I were very active in the beginning. In the end we missed the right escape, but Flecha rode towards that on character. That made it a bit easier for all of us. We were counting on Denis for the concluding climb, but that hope vanished soon.”</P>

<H2>No problems for Freire in 14th stage</H2> <P>The Rabobank team again couldn't play a prominent role in the 14th stage. The Rabo riders were active for the first hour, but the attacks were not successful. </P> <P>At the fifteen kilometre mark, a group of thirteen riders managed to break away, with no Rabo rider among them. Only twelve riders were left in the group after Jens Voigt suffered a flat tyre. Sergei Ivanov was by far the most superior rider of his group, and George Hincapie came up only a few seconds short of claiming the yellow.</P> <P>The best news to come from the Rabo camp was that Oscar Freire (pictured, showing the wound on his thigh) and Juan Antonio Flecha (who fell hard on Friday) made it to the finish line. The most talked about topic in the pack today was the shooting of Freire and New Zealander Julian Dean in Friday's stage. </P> <P>Just before the start of the stage, Lance Armstrong had said to a Belgian TV reporter that he would have gotten off his bike to catch the offender if he had seen it happen. "... to punch him in the face," said Armstrong angrily.</P> <P>Freire and Flecha were doing reasonably well on Saturday. Team doctor Van Bommel was optimistic about Flecha, whose situation had not looked great after his severe crash on Friday. </P> <P>Freire, however, was not affected too much by the air rifle shot wound he sustained in Friday's stage, exactly as team doctor Dion van Bommel had predicted on Friday. The French police have started an investigation of the incident, with witnesses claiming to have seen two teenagers firing shots from behind a tree.</P> <H3>Curse not broken</H3> <P>The Rabo team couldn't shake its misfortune on Saturday and team leader Erik Breukink is starting to feel a bit despondent. "We've had a lot of adversity, but today we really missed out on a good opportunity. We should have been represented in that thirteen men escape."</P> <P>The team really cannot find its rhythm this Tour and the more time it takes for success to come, the more constrained the team will ride, Breukink thinks. “Their style of riding is not relaxed; they are too anxious and they are trying to force too much. There is no flow. Various factors made success in the first week impossible and then the pressure starts to work counterproductively."</P> <P>Breukink, just like Oscar Freire, thinks that the stage to Barcelona was the most important breaking point so far. "We had pinned our hopes on that. That arrival was made for Oscar, and he has proven that. It was just bad luck that Hushovd found a way to survive. With a victory you start becoming more relaxed and number two and three will also come."</P> <P>Is it still possible? "Why not? There are only seven stages left with two opportunities for Oscar. On top of that, we must hope for Denis. It remains a question mark how Denis will perform. He is making a good impression though, much better than in the beginning of the Tour. I also have the feeling that he is looking forward to the Alps. Denis wants to set things straight."</P> <H3>Spectator killed</H3> <P>The Tour was again overshadowed by a terrible incident. A French woman was killed after being hit by a police officer on motor cycle. The police officer couldn't avoid hitting the woman as she suddenly crossed the road. The officer fell off the motor bike which subsequently crashed into the audience, inuring two more spectators in the process. </P>

<H2>Freire hit by air gun</H2> <P>On Friday, Australian German Heinrich 'Henry' Haussler (pictured) won the Tour’s thirteenth stage in a superb manner, but the day’s most dramatic news involved amongst others, Rabo sprinter Oscar Freire. </P> <P>During the descent of the Col du Platzerwassel, Freire and New Zealander Julian Dean were shot at with an air gun. Freire was hit in the thigh, Dean in the thumb. Rabo team doctor Dion van Bommel removed a lead pellet from the Spanish sprinter’s leg upon his arrival at the hotel. </P> <P>The doctor expects Freire to start as usual in the fourteenth stage on Saturday, and does not expect the wound to bother him too much. On Friday evening the team will report the shooting to the French police, which has already been notified by the Tour organization ASO. </P> <P>At the 165 kilometre sign during the descent, the riders heard three shots shortly after one another. Freire immediately felt a stinging pain in his upper leg and Dean indicated he had a wound to his thumb. It appears that the third bullet did not hit anything. </P> <P>Both Freire and Dean were able to complete the stage without significant problem.</P> <H3>Freire remains calm</H3> <P>Team doctor Dion van Bommel reported that the sprinter's reaction was quite casual. “He has kept his cool. But that's Oscar, he doesn't get upset very often.” Even so, Van Bommel reports that the shooting was quite dangerous. “Such a little pellet won't do much damage to a thigh, but if it hit Oscar in the eye - he is blind. I think this is outrageous and I have never experienced anything like this in my career.”</P> <P>The team has responded with fierce outrage. Team manager Frans Maassen was with Freire when the doctor removed the pellet. “A truly surreal incident. I hope they can solve this case, because this is something that needs to put a stop to very quickly,” responded Maassen. </P> <P>The Tour organisation ASO has arranged for the French criminal investigation department to visit the Rabo hotel on Friday evening to lay charges. Luuc Eisenga, the team’s communications manager, has been told by contacts within the ASO that the Tour organisation takes the incident very seriously. </P> <H3>Garate on an escape</H3> <P>Initially the Rabo team played a role in the course’s developments as well. Juan Manuel Garate represented the team’s colours in the first important escape of the day. </P> <P>The seven in front couldn't manage a lead of one minute, but three men sped away from the first group just as they were about to be caught by the pack. Eventually Heinrich Haussler showed himself to be the strongest in the group, in spite of the horrid weather. He completed the last 45 kilometres by himself and passed the finish line in tears. </P> <P>Denis Menchov finished seven minutes later in the pack with favourites, along with teammates Grischa Niermann and Joost Posthuma.</P> <P>The differences with Thursday’s stage were enormous, as team manager Erik Breukink commented. “Not only did the riders have to do a lot of climbing today, the weather was very different too. Yesterday the riders had to ride in 34 degree sun, today it was 15 degrees and it rained. That's a major swing. There was a really fast start, so most didn't have a lot of problems then. But once the development of the course has been set, the cold kicks in.”</P> <P>The Rabo team played their trump when Garate was sent ahead, but his escape did not get a chance. “He ended up in front with seven people,” told Breukink. "But five teams set up a hunt from behind and they never got more than fifty seconds. The group fell apart in a descent and when four men had been gobbled up, the three in the front got a pass. Their lead grew quickly.” </P>

<H2>Breukink: 'No one wanted to ride with us'</H2> <P>The track of the twelfth stage was perfect for a successful breakaway attempt. While the group was formed, Oscar Freire (pictured) and some other riders came close but only Saxobank's Nicki Sørensen was able to make the final jump. There was little motivation behind the lead group to force a bunch sprint finish. And so the seven up front were given permission to battle against each other for the victory. </P> <P>Nicki Sørensen had the best legs at the end of the day. He dashed away from his fellow escapee and passed the finish line in a solo effort.</P> <P>Every team wanted to be in an escape, which kept the pace extremely high in the first two hours. Erik Breukink observed the same thing: "The pack went all out and there were numerous breakaways. We also tried to get away, but no one was given any room." </P> <P>The team also had problems with its material. "Both Flecha and Freire had a flat tyre at a very unfortunate moment. If you need to sacrifice a man for that, that means you have lost one man who can participate up front. On top of that, it takes quite some time before the riders are back in the front ranks again."</P> <H3>No allies for sprint</H3> <P>Breukink attributes bad luck as the sole reason the Rabo team was not present in the decisive escape. "The escapees all were quality riders. It is not a gift to be represented in that group. Freire was part of a pursuing group, but only Sørensen managed to make the jump.” </P> <P>For a moment, the decision was contemplated to let the stage end with a bunch sprint in order for Freire to have a chance. “No one wanted to cooperate with us, and you do not make it on your own against seven riders of such calibre. Their ability to gain time particularly became visible in the finale."</P> <P>According to Breukink however, it was quite logical that the Rabo team could not find an ally. "Team Columbia does not need to; they already have enough victories, and the other sprinter teams were also not motivated, and that makes you powerless." </P> <P>After three transitional stages, there is a mountain stage scheduled again for Friday. "It comes too early though," confessed Breukink. "Ten Dam is still a bit hurt, while in fact he is our most important rider for stages like these. Garate, on the other hand, is doing fine, and we will see about Menchov's condition."</P>

<H2>Stef Clement rides for Oscar</H2> <P>The start of the eleventh stage to Saint-Fargeau was hectic. A billboard on the road, a number of crashes - the pack couldn't find its rhythm. But two men were advantaged by it and staged the escape of the day. </P> <P>It had been expected that this stage would end in a bunch sprint. The arrival was one that suited Oscar Freire (pictured), which is why Stef Clement assisted in bringing back the escapees - unfortunately to no avail.</P> <P>Freire found himself alone too early and could not maintain his position amid the jostling, which pushed him too far back. Adding to that, it seems that nothing can stop Mark Cavendish. He won his fourth stage this Tour.</P> <P>Team manager Erik Breukink also believed in Freire’s chances. “It was actually a good sprint for Oscar. But if you want to have a chance against Cavendish you have to be on his wheel at least. And that did not work out.” </P> <P>Breukink saw two reasons for that. “There are already some riders of Team Columbia, then you have to fight your way to a good spot. That's hard when you are by yourself and unfortunately it turned out that Freire was isolated. Flecha usually guides him, but he probably lost him. And then it gets really difficult.”</P> <H3>Faith in Freire</H3> <P>Towards the end, Stef Clement played his part in bringing back the lead group. According to Breukink, that was because the arrival suited Freire. “That is why Stef participated in the front. That is how you want to demonstrate to Oscar that we believe in him, to boost his confidence.” </P> <P>Clement also had the legs to participate, as he indicated himself afterwards. “I feel I am getting better in the last couple of days. So I did much work in the front of the pack. Yes, we have to keep trying. We had no other choice when we were not on the escape. We had to play the Oscar card.”</P> <P>“Of course the plan was to be on an escape, but all plans came undone when that billboard ended up in the middle of the peleton. The two had just escaped and continued, we had to wait. After the neutralisation, there was a crash in the pack and we all stood in the grass again,” told Clement, who worked for a sprint after that. </P> <P>“But there is one person here who is unbeatable. Oscar is good, but we are going to have to try another way first. Being part of a big escape offers the best opportunity now.</P>

<H2>Controversial stage finishes without drama</H2> <P>Even before it started, the tenth stage was already the most talked about race of the Tour. But in the end the story was a brief one. The riders were required to ride without headsets or radio communication in hopes that it would make the stage more interesting. But in the end it was just a run-of-the-mill sprint stage with a lead group that was constantly being monitored.</P> <P>On the streets of Issoudon there was again no stopping Mark Cavendish, who, positioned well by the Team Columbia train, went on to win his third stage. Oscar Freire gave a short challenge, but then realised that he was in a powerless position and gave it up in the final metres.</P> <P>Rabobank team leader Erik Breukink also saw a stage that was not very appealing. "We can keep the story short, also in terms of the ban on race radios. Everyone knew that it was not allowed, although not even one team supported that decision. Some harmony was gradually created in the pack, but it didn't make it more interesting. In fact, it was not much different from the other races. It was a typical bunch sprint stage. Four men broke away quickly, and the pack found ways to control that group."</P> <H3>Too far back</H3> <P>"Cavendish's victory wasn't a surprise," said Breukink. "Thor Hushovd was able to keep his wheel, but that was it. There is just very little you can do against him." </P> <P>Freire, unfortunately, never competed for the prizes. "Oscar was too far back. A small gap formed and then there isn't much you can do. Still, everyone reached the finish line in one piece, which is nice for a change."</P> <P>A similar track needs to be completed on Wednesday, but Breukink predicts a more exciting race. "Riders will be more active in order to place a successful attack, which will result in a quicker stage." </P> <P>So we shouldn't assume that the riders will be catching their breath during these days. "Especially the first part of a race is hard work. There are a lot of attacks and you want to be represented in all of them. This demands a responsive style of riding, but we'll definitely try to venture something again tomorrow." </P> <P>Rabobank rider Grischa Nierman held his own silent protest against the radio ban on Tuesday. Minutes before the start of the stage he appeared with a huge antenna attached to his helmet (pictured).</P>

<H2>Stormy day for Laurens ten Dam</H2> <P>Since the Aspin and the Tourmalet had to be conquered along the way, the ninth stage of the Tour was supposedly a mountain stage. Yet the stage almost ended in a mass sprint. </P> <P>The two early escapees Pierrick Fédrigo and Franco Pellizotti barely stayed ahead of the peleton, while the Rabo team, together with Caisse d’Epargne led the pursuit in the final thirty kilometres. Oscar Freire won the pack’s sprint for the third place in the end, but the stage victory went to Fédrigo.</P> <P>Laurens ten Dam (pictured) was the Rabobank rider of the day. He initiated a major pursuit attempt, fell during the Tourmalet’s descent, and came back with a big role in the pursuit in the finale. In the end, the fall mattered most.</P> <P>“I slid away in the second turn of the Tourmalet’s descent. I kept on sliding for a while. Luckily I didn't hit anything on the road. Today was really tough for me, but without that fall I would have felt good about it. I feel pretty beat up now.”</P> <H3>Forget the pain and misery</H3> <P>Ten Dam was determined to show himself in the Pyrenees, and succeeded. “On Saturday I was on the wrong group with Evans. The men ahead already had five minutes today, but on the Aspin I still felt like, ‘We are going to try it today and maybe the right guys come along.’ That succeeded. So today I am positioned pretty well but I fell - very nasty. But we are going to keep on trying to win a stage here.”</P> <P>In spite of his fall, ten Dam kept up the pace to bring back the two escapees in the finale. Rabobank had a good shot at victory because Freire was able to come back after the Tourmalet. </P> <P>“In the end we got a chance because Oscar came back from behind. I decided to participate in the hunt and forget about the pain and misery for a bit, with a possible stage victory looming. Unfortunately the guys in the front did not break. But for me this stage was pretty much over when I fell.”</P> <H3>Injuries are bad</H3> <P>Ten Dam showed character today, according to team doctor Dion van Bommel. “Because he was participating so much in the finale I thought his injuries would not be really bad. But it was not good, it was actually pretty bad. He fell really hard. Because he slid over the rocks Laurens cut open everything. His arms, legs, hip, back: he has many skin wounds and then of course the bruises beneath them.” </P> <P>Ten Dam had already fallen earlier in Barcelona, which obviously didn't help either. “He went over the old scrapes again. They had almost healed, but now they have of course opened up again.”</P> <P>Van Bommel took care of ten Dam right after the race.</P> <P>“We're now going to fly to the next sleeping place, so I will look at him again there and put new bandages on. Then he will get something to sleep as good as possible and luckily tomorrow is resting day, which is more than welcome. But Laurens has character which he's already demonstrated this stage. We will have to wait and see how it goes after the resting day, but Laurens will undoubtedly go for it.” </P> <P>The first week has been a busy one for Van Bommel. “But the rest is under control. It looked like we were getting our act back together as well, so it was very disappointing that Laurens fell.”<BR></P>

<H2>Erik Breukink: "Teams shows resilience"</H2> <P>A turn of events could be possible for the Rabobank team in the Tour. The last three stages were promising, especially in the context of a somewhat gloomy first week. </P> <P>Oscar Freire was strong in Barcelona; Denis Menchov (pictured), Laurens ten Dam and Juan Manuel Garate held themselves well in the first mountain stage. And with attacks by ten Dam and Juan Antonio Flecha in the second Pyrenees stage, the Rabo team showed an eagerness to be attack-minded. </P> <P>"At least mentally we are on the right track," observed team leader Erik Breukink. "The legs are gradually getting better, but the team's resilience is uninterrupted."</P> <P>The latter is an achievement in itself, because the team leader has not only seen his team go through physical adversity last week. </P> <P>"All the bad luck and misfortune have also affected the team's psychological wellbeing. Everyone fell at least once, and the fact that Robert left the Tour was also a big setback for the entire team. But in the past few days the team has shown that its resilience is strong. The team morale is good. They are very strong mentally. It is important to mention that as well."</P> <H3>"Denis is doing quite OK"</H3> <P>We need to wait for the good legs and success to come. Some of the riders seem to be getting more and more into shape. And although Denis Menchov did not directly have an answer to Andy Schleck's accelerations but managed to get back using his own pace, Breukink also saw an improved captain. </P> <P>"Denis is doing OK, but he is far from world class. We hope that he will progressively improve this tour. How Denis is really doing? It's still hard to tell. There has been some competition between the captains in the last two stages, but it didn't develop into a climax. We haven't seen a serious clash yet, but one thing is clear, Denis is doing much better now than in the first few stages."</P> <P>Breukink thinks that it is to his captain's advantage that the mountain stages in the Pyrenees do not have a classic profile. For example, the top of the final climb on Sunday, the infamous Tourmalet, is located seventy kilometres from the finish. "This will prevent a true battle from taking place. It does give us some extra time and breathing room. We still hope for a good third week for Denis, and it could very well happen."</P> <H3>Opportunities for adventure seekers</H3> <P>Sunday’s stage, just like Saturday’s, is the perfect fit for adventure seekers to go on the hunt for a victory, just like Laurens ten Dam and Juan Antonio Flecha did on Saturday. The Spaniard had good legs and even experienced few difficulties going uphill. </P> <P>"The group that I was in was my bad luck. It consisted of Sanchez, Casar, Astarloza and Efimkin. They are, unfortunately, climbers of a much better calibre. Otherwise, a stage victory could have been feasible," reported Flecha. </P> <P>And what about Laurens ten Dam? He was extremely active in the beginning of the stage, but was confronted quickly with the consequences. "Luckily, I improved at the end of the stage, but the first hundred kilometres were like hell."<BR></P>

<H3>Menchov finishes with the right people</H3> <P>The first real mountain stage in the Tour took place on Friday. The classification riders still had to explore each others' strengths a little bit, resulting in a cautious ride. The captains didn't show themselves until the final kilometres, after which Alberto Contador was their victor. </P> <P>However, the real escapees were nowhere to be found, since an early escape was not diffused. Brice Feillu was the strongest on the final climb, winning a nice victory. </P> <P>The good news for the Rabobank team was that Denis Menchov finished with the favourites, with Juan Manuel Garate and Laurens ten Dam (pictured) right behind that.</P> <P>“Menchov finishing with the right people restores some confidence, as does the fact that Garate and ten Dam finished in front.” Team manager Erik Breukink was satisfied with the result of the first mountain stage. “Being the first mountain stage, the course took a long time to really take off. Nobody dared to engage early, which made it a cautious race.” </P> <P>The Rabo team had anticipated that an escaped group would be given some room. “We tried with the first group, but unfortunately it turned out to be the wrong one. But ten Dam and Oscar Freire being along with that showed our fighting spirit.”</P> <H3>More opportunities</H3> <P>The team continued in the right direction started in the stage to Barcelona . “We had a good motivation yesterday and today also went well. We'll have to see in the coming days how it goes and where we can strike. The coming days are not selective enough for classification riders. The last peaks are too far from the finish, which means they probably won't fight each other. I think this is one of the least selective passages through the Pyrenees. Usually it's much heavier here. Now the toughest part will be further ahead in the Tour, in the Alps.”</P> <P>Breukink expects the Rabobank riders to show themselves in the coming days. “We lost more time than we'd hoped, but that also offers possibilities. Menchov, for example, will be given more room in difficult finales because he's less dangerous. In a stage like tomorrow, he won't be given any room to escape; that's more for someone like ten Dam. With Robert Gesink no longer in the Tour and Menchov’s current ranking, he can also try more. Hopefully this will give us a nice result in the coming weeks." </P>

<h2>Good teamwork from Rabobank riders</h2> <p>After all the bad luck the Rabo team has had over the past week, it looked like Oscar Freire (pictured) would give them some consolation. But unfortunately Thor Hushovd proved too strong in Barcelona. </p> <p>During the difficult finish - which should have suited riders like Freire and Hushovd - Freire was forced to step on the pedals too early, paving the road for Hushovd in the process. There were numerous crashes in the finale, with Laurens ten Dam one of the victims. The pack also broke up, resulting in a time loss of a little bit more than one minute for Denis Menchov.</p> <p>Nevertheless, team leader Erik Breukink was happy to see the Rabo team ride in front. </p> <p>"Well before the start we'd already planned to build our strategy around Oscar (Freire). And, in cooperation with Cervelo, we were able to keep everything together. The guys demonstrated that we're still able to compete. It's a shame we weren't triumphant, but when you finish second you can also win - and that gives us a good feeling. Hushovd isn't easily beaten; he's a strong man."</p> <p>Breukink was not able to disclose much about ten Dam. "We need to wait until tomorrow to see how his body responds. But it's certain he'll be in pain."</p> <h3>Slippery finale</h3> <p>Menchov finished behind the pack split-up at around one minute. According to Breukink, the track was responsible for that. "There were a lot of crashes; the pack had broken up into several groups. It's slippery in the rain in a city. It would have been an easier and more exciting finale had it been dry. Nevertheless, I think Denis lacks focus for this Tour." </p> <p>On the other hand, the team rose above the loss of Gesink. "You need to continue on with eight men; the guys handled that well. We did what we had to do and the result was Oscar's second place."</p> <p>Joost Posthuma also thought it was an arduous day. "I'm glad that it only started raining when we were at the 40 kilometre mark, because the first part of the stage was quite tricky. After that, it became incredibly slippery, especially in Barcelona. It really turned into one of those 'slip and slide' contests." </p> <p>Despite all the setbacks, the Rabo team has displayed a sense of resilience. "En route, Stef Clement and I had to monitor the escape and I think we completed that assignment rather well. Otherwise, we would never have seen those guys back again."</p> <p>Posthuma indicated that his time loss was a precautionary measure. "The final climb was just a little bit too much for me - the descent was perilous. That's when I decided to prioritise safety and I calmly rode to the finish. I did see a lot of riders along the way who'd crashed. In Barcelona in particular a lot of those riders joined our group." </p> <p>Freire's finish in second place is a shame, but still encouraging. "Not as good as winning, but still a boost for our morale."</p>

<H2>Gesink leaves Tour with fractured wrist</H2> <P>An examination in the hospital at Perpignan found that Robert Gesink (pictured) sustained a fracture in his crash in the fifth stage of the Tour, which was won by Frenchman Thomas Voeckler. There is no dislocation, which means the fracture won't have to be set but his arm was put in plaster. He will return to the Netherlands on Thursday where he will be examined again in the Rabo team’s regular hospital in Amersfoort. </P> <P>Team doctor Dion van Bommel says that Gesink should not use his wrist for two weeks. “After that we'll see how Robert’s recovery will progress. Only then can we say anything sensible about the rest of the season.” Gesink himself said immediately after the diagnosis that he is considering starting in the Vuelta. </P> <H3>Still across the finish line</H3> <P>Gesink still made it across the finish line in spite of the pain, which earned him the admiration of team leader Frans Maassen. “I feared at a certain point that he was unable to finish because he was hardly able to brake. That makes it almost impossible to ride through the caravan and the crowd.” </P> <P>Maassen also thanked his fellow team managers, who guided Gesink to the pack the first time. “The jury gave them a hard time. Their cameras were constantly on top of them. He was also unable to hang on to the car because he could not steer. Otherwise I would have happily accepted a steep fine for it.” </P> <P>Joost Posthuma waited for Gesink immediately after the fall. “I saw Robert take a tumble and actually it didn't look that bad initially. It happens all the time.” Posthuma waited for a while. “We knew that the pack would stretch itself shortly after that and we tried as hard as we could to bring Robert back. But I soon noticed that he was not doing well. He could not properly hold on to his handlebars and when the doctor came he could not grab the car.” </P> <P>According to Posthuma, however, it looked like it would be alright. “Initially I thought it would be fine because we caught up with the first group and we later joined the pack as well. I rode the front after that. I thought Robert would easily stay on, but in the end it was too much.” </P> <P>Gesink was not the only one of the Rabo team who fell to the deck. “I also fell. After thirty kilometres already; but the damage is limited. I am a little dizzy. My head hit the curb. Good thing there are helmets.” </P>

<H2>Rabo starts slow in team time trial</H2> <P> Astana was by far the superior team in the Tour's team time trial, but they still came up one second short of putting the yellow around Lance Armstrong's shoulders.</P> <P>Fabian Cancellara was able to hold on to the leading position in the general classification. The Rabobank team had done everything they could in order to perform well, but in the very first corner, team captain Denis Menchov slipped and fell. The team then couldn't find its rhythm, resulting in quite a sizeable time loss in the first half of the race. The second half went better, but in the end, an eleventh place at 2:20 from the winner was the achieved result. </P> <P> According to Denis Menchov, nothing special happened in that first corner. "I just slipped." He did not really elaborate on the remainder of the track. "It was not very technical, but it definitely was tricky. You could really ride fast, but that made the turns even more hazardous. It was hard to assess what sort of turn it would be." </P> <P>Menchov has already built up a time loss of several minutes after four days of racing. "That makes it complicated. But it's only the fourth stage, so I must continue to look ahead." </P> <H3>Time differences greater than expected</H3> <P> The track, according to team leader Erik Breukink, was not up to a standard to host a time trial. "But obviously the winner will have a different opinion. It was narrow and winding, and that makes it difficult with nine men. Hence the large number of crashes that occurred during the race." </P> <P>In the end, the team finished eleventh, but the time differences came as a surprise to Breukink. "They were bigger than I had expected. I had predicted the differences to be within one minute, but it ultimately turned out to be several minutes. That was not only the case with us. The differences between most teams were quite substantial." </P> <P> The fact that time trial riders Stef Clement and Joost Posthuma could not keep up with the team’s pace was remarkable, although Breukink did have an explanation for that. "Clement had already crashed in the morning. It is not an ideal start. But, the main reason he told us afterwards was that during the race his front tyre was gradually losing contact with the wheel. That is why he couldn't keep up with the group. Posthuma, on the other hand, had already done some very valuable lead work, but then mistimed the decision to hand over the lead work to his teammate. It was going uphill and he couldn't find the energy to stay with the group. That is when the group rides away from you." </P> <H3>Being the least of the bunch</H3> <P> Robert Gesink was also having a difficult time, which he confirmed afterwards. "If you are the least of the bunch, a team time trial can be very hard going. And that's also what it felt like. Fifteen kilometres before the finish, I had used up every ounce of energy left. In the beginning, just after Denis's crash, the pace was very fast, and I couldn't find a way to reenergise. My contribution, especially at the end, was limited." </P> <P> Nevertheless, Gesink is not worried about his form. "Not really... My senses tell me that I am in good condition. Our time this Tour is yet to come. We will see what happens later." </P> <P> All in all, there seems to be a consistent theme between the team time trial and the first three days of the Tour: it did not give the Rabo team what it had hoped for. </P> <P>Breukink could only agree. "We have been experiencing too many setbacks in the past few days, and the gap is already quite big. We need to straighten our backs. Conditionally, we are fine, and our days are still around the corner. Those are the mountain stages." </P> <P>Nonetheless, this has already had some impact, according to Breukink. "We need to come up with a new strategy. There's not much to defend, meaning we need to create situations during the tougher stages that can put us into a position to bounce back." </P>

<H2>Rabo team absent from first group </H2> <P></P> <P>The final of the third stage should have suited most Dutch teams, but unfortunately Rabobank struck out. </P> <P>Team Colombia stretched the pack then took it by surprise to create a lead group of thirty riders, with about twenty kilometres left to go. It was a stunt that eventually led to the second stage victory for Mark Cavendish.</P> <P>But Rabobank team manager Erik Breukink (pictured) maintains the pack break was not unexpected. “A stage like this is made for it. Lots of turning and a strong wind; then you know this can happen. We tried it ourselves a couple of times too, but couldn't manage it.”</P> <P>The absence of any Rabo rider in the first group could partly be explained by Robert Gesink’s flat tyre. “Robert’s tyre had blown right before that. Two men had waited for him and they'd just returned when the pack broke, which meant we had three men too far back to be able to do anything about it.” </P> <P>But that doesn't apply to the rest of the team. “Denis Menchov was right behind the break, unfortunately, as were the other guys. The same happened to most other riders, there were only thirty riders ahead. Of course you want to keep up with them, but it isn't always possible.” </P> <H3>Thirty men against an entire pack that failed to close the gap</H3> <P>“The entire Team Columbia was ahead. They are all good riders who can drive like an oiled machine. Behind that, everyone wanted to close the gap - it's much more difficult to organise. Some of the Rabobank riders joined, but everyone has to be able to get to the front at the pace of the pack at that time. Not an easy task.” according to Breukink.</P> <P>The damage the pack caused was annoying, but Breukink isn't overly concerned about it. “Lance Armstrong was the most dangerous man in the first group; maybe Kim Kirchen too. But all other classification riders were in the pack, which means that there is no net loss.” </P> <P>So, with the team time trial coming up, Breukink is still confident. “With the recent special training in Belgium, the team's preparation has been good. The team will ride the course again tomorrow to explore it and then it just has to happen.” </P>

<H2>Stef Clement is most combative rider</H2> <p>After the first Tour stage, Stef Clement (pictured) announced that he would not initiate an attack on Sunday. Yet, he was still part of an early lead group during the second stage, at the end won by Mark Cavendish. </p> <p>Clement's explanation was plain and simple: it was not a breakaway attempt, it was sneaking along. &quot;Laurens ten Dam and I had been given the assignment to jump along with the large groups on the first climb. That means that you are not positioned on the sidelines when a large lead group is formed and is given the permission by the pack to stay ahead. However, while we were getting closer to the top of the first climb, the pace picked up dramatically, meaning that there were only four men left. Obviously in that situation, you can't keep your legs still. It is the way it is, and you try to make the most of it.&quot; </p> <p>The best thing about today was the news that Clement was crowned most combative rider. A nice reward, according to Clement. &quot;En route, I was even briefly the virtual leader. You have to keep your fingers crossed and hope for a miracle, but unfortunately it was not a realistic thing to hope for. And then to still be called to stand on the Tour podium for the first time ever was an unexpected surprise because my three fellow escapees all rode for a French team.&quot; Clement, objectively, was the one doing most of the lead work. &quot;But, that was not a conscious choice. The other guys were busier collecting points for the polka-dot jersey, which might explain why they were trying to save energy. On the other hand, it didn't really feel like I was doing all the work by myself.&quot;</p> <p>It did result in a morale boost. &#147;Although today was tough and my legs really hurt, at least I am not as irritable now as I was on Saturday. It is all about the effort that I put into it. It wasn't according to the plan, but once you're on the attack, you can't put the brakes on. Just one percent chance of winning? Yes, but that is still a bigger chance than when you are in the pack close to the yellow jersey. Then, your chances are down to zero percent.&#148;</p> <H3>In good shape</H3> <p>Frans Maassen was the team leader driving behind Clement. &quot;You immediately drive in the front ranks on the second day. That was a little but unforeseen... in fact, the mission was difficult with four men, but then again he was there. But we had hoped for a larger group. And when you see that everything in the pack is kept under control, you just know enough.&quot; Still, according to Maassen, it was not at all bad that Clement was in the lead group. &quot;No of course not; he has shown that he's in good shape, because when you are able to ride in the front during the Tour, you must possess at least some cycling skills.&quot;</p> <p>The team time trial is scheduled for Tuesday, so saving some energy would probably be a wise decision. The most important thing though is the evaluation of today's stage, said Maassen. &quot;And then we will see what tomorrow has in store for us. Of course, Tuesday is an incredibly important day for us, but tomorrow we should not play a peripheral role either. Keeping Tuesday's stage in the back of our minds, we must make sure we finish on good form tomorrow. You can always look ahead, but the Tour is something you particularly experience from day-to-day.&quot;<br> </p>

<H2>Two-faced time trial for Rabo team</H2> <P>The Tour de France’s first time trial had two faces for Rabo team manager Erik Breukink.</P> <P>"Robert Gesink (pictured) rode a good time trial given his abilities. He keeps getting better in this discipline. It is his first Tour and he has started now." </P> <P>Denis Menchov’s time trial on the other hand was disappointing. "We knew there were going to be gaps; you take that into account. But that they were going to be as big as they were, was disappointing. This was obvious right from the start. It did not go well; Denis could not properly find his rhythm." </P> <P>Breukink immediately looked forward. "Luckily, Denis is not being too dramatic about it. Of course he is upset, but it was only the first stage. You should not worry about that for the next three weeks, but see opportunities when they arrive instead. It is important now to remain motivated, also as a team. Tomorrow, for example, there is the possibility of a mass sprint."</P> <P>Oscar Freire is the Rabo team’s trump card in the sprints. Breukink explained why Freire had raced the time trial on his regular bike: "He did not have any chance today, but tomorrow is basically his day. To avoid burdening his back too heavily and to increase his chances, he chose to start on his race bike, even though time trial grips had been installed."</P> <H3>Not much fun</H3> <P>Denis Menchov himself was also disappointed, but he did not know the reason. "Maybe it is because I have not been in competition for five weeks. But that was also the case last year and it went well then. It did not feel good today in any case, I never found my rhythm and then it is hard to find a proper pace."</P> <P>Being overtaken, as Fabian Cancellara did this time, is not something that has happened to him very often. "It is not fun, but what can I say? Cancellara is a specialist and he also wins. I had a bad day. He had a very good day. It can happen then." Menchov still sees chances, however: "The gaps are bigger than I had expected, but it is far from hopeless. The Tour has only just started and the others are going to have bad days too. We will see what happens in the Pyrenees."</P> <H3>The Monaco circus</H3> <P>Luckily, Tour newcomer Robert Gesink became Rabo’s ray of light. His time trial went as expected, and he is still improving. "I prefer a longer time trial, so today’s performance is not bad at all." It is the first time he has ridden in the Tour. "Besides, I don't enjoy the first day. At first you're relatively calm, and then all of a sudden your heart rate goes through the roof. I don’t like that at all. I specifically prepared myself for today on Friday - raced a little faster than normal to get the legs ready."</P> <P>Gesink felt he had planned his time trial well. "The first part of the time trial was very difficult. A very difficult climb that you had to handle sensibly. If you go all out at the start, you will hit the wall later. But it went well I think. The last part may not have been pretty, but it was effective. I'm glad we have started now. It was nice to experience the circus in Monaco, but things dragged on a bit too long. I am looking forward to tomorrow. We have started and that is what is most important." </P> <P><I>Photo: Robert Gesink during Tour de France Stage 1 time trial in Monaco</I></P>