Road Season Preview 2004

January 15, 2004

Rabobank

Rabobank team presentation

Breukink named new team director

The Rabobank team
Photo ©: Bert Geerts

The number one Dutch team Rabobank held its team presentation in Hilversum on January 15. The 25 man squad is remarkable in that only three 'new' riders have joined since last year: Hans Dekkers, Joost Posthuma and Pieter Weening, all of whom have been promoted from the Division III team. Rabobank is well known for its development squads and thus it has a large pool of talent to draw from when seeking riders for the top team.

"Dekkers and Weening are two big talents who've ridden fantastic seasons in our TT3 development team," manager Theo de Rooij told ANP at the presentation. "With the transition to the professional team we give them the opportunity to grow. Dekkers is a rider with a fantastic sprint and with Weening we have someone who has good climbing capabilities. Posthuma will do a tough spring season with the TT3 before making the jump to the professional team."

Another new face for Rabobank is Erik Breukink, a top Dutch professional turned Rabobank PR man turned TV commentator. Breukink will become a team director, effectively filling the vacancy left by Theo de Rooij, who was promoted to team manager after the exit of Jan Raas late last year.

Photos

Images by Bert Geerts/dcp-bertgeerts@xs4all.nl

• The Rabobank team surround Erik Breukink
• Breukink signing his contract
• Erik Breukink smiles for the press
• Erik Dekker poses for the media
• Dekker does his "Mr. Serious" look
• Dekker towers over the amassed media
• Grischa Niermann has his turn to pose
• Karsten Kroon tries to wipe a smale away
• Levi Leipheimer in smile mode
• Leipheimer in serious mode
• Michael Boogerd after the presentation
• Boogie and Dekker telling lies
• Michael Rasmussen feels his ears burning
• Rasmussen pretends to model
• Boogie checking his new bike
• Oscar Freire smiles for the press
• The Rabobank team, all lined up
• Remmert Wielinga the last to be photographed
• I'm not sure what to say to this, so I will say nothing at all
• Again, I make no comment. Unless someone can explain this.