Kruijswijk calls Tour de Suisse better than Giro d'Italia

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The Tour de Suisse was a success for Dutch team Rabobank, with stage winner Steven Kruijswijk on the podium as the highest of three riders in the top 10. The team also finished second in the team rankings. Directeur sportif Franz Maassen called his team's performance “magnificent.”

Kruijswijk, who turned 24 earlier this month, had earlier made his mark in the Giro d'Italia, with a ninth place overall finish. With that in his legs and therefore not now being in top form, he called his third place finish in Suisse “even more gratifying than the ninth place in the Giro. I'm tired now, but very content. "

The second-year pro moved up to the podium by winning the race's queen stage, the sixth stage which finished atop the HC-ranked Triesenberg/Malbun. Kruijswijk made it near the top with a group of 12 top riders before attacking with 2km to go.

On the team's website, he said, that the Giro was the best experience to measure himself against the great riders. “Yet the Tour of Switzerland gives me more satisfaction.I went to the start relaxed. Without any pressure. The team demanded nothing at all.”

Kruijswijk will not be riding the Tour de France, and plans to relax during the next few weeks. After riding the Dutch nationals this coming weekend, he will discuss the rest of the season with the team. “The first part has been fantastic. I will not soon forget the last two months. It was a wonderful period, and Suisse was the highlight so far.” 

In addition to Kruijswijk, Rabobank had Bauke Mollema in fifth and Laurens ten Dam in eighth place overall.

"This race was really great for us and I think that is an understatement,” Maassen said. “The end result is very classy. Steven had a wonderful win on the Queen stage, and Bauke was as good as the classification riders. Laurens was as strong as an ox and the whole team worked well.”