A top climbing domestique, and the only rider to have remained with Jumbo-Visma ever since he turned pro back in 2007, Robert Gesink has worked with plenty of leaders in his time. He’s also one of just three Jumbo-Visma racers to have ridden alongside Primož Roglič in all three of the Slovenian’s Vuelta a España wins.
Speaking to Cyclingnews during the Jumbo-Visma training camp in early January, Gesink explains why he feels Roglič is a great example for handling adversity, even for the most experienced of racers like himself. But the Dutchman also runs the rule over the team’s other leaders like Sepp Kuss and Tom Dumoulin, and outlines his own hopes and targets for 2022 as well.
Cyclingnews: First of all how are you doing? I know you had some fairly major surgery straight after finishing the Vuelta a España.
Robert Gesink: Actually it was pretty bad. I had a crash in the Tour and broke my collarbone and some ligaments, and they fixed that. But apparently some bacteria sneaked into that wound and during the Vuelta it really started to hurt. I got sore and swollen. We initially thought it was due to some kind of excess work load. But actually I needed two operations and two months of antibiotics to get it fixed. So that was basically my winter over!
Oh, and then I got COVID a few weeks ago and I had to do quarantine for a while. But now we’re back on the road.
CN: Where are you form-wise after a winter like that?
RG: For sure I was behind for a while. I was doing OK before I got COVID but it took about three weeks for me to feel better. But now I’ve picked up on my training again and I don’t start until the Volta ao Algarve [February 16] so I should be OK. Also my role in the team has changed over the years. It’s not like I’m expected to get big results straight away.
CN: What is the plan for Robert Gesink this year?
RG: Well, definitely the Vuelta. But the Tour de France spots are getting quite expensive in this team, so there might be a holiday in July. That said we’ve always made plans [in the team] in December and January and we’ve never fully followed those during the season because stuff always happens. So it’s not all clear yet.
CN: Together with Lennard Hoffstede and Sepp Kuss, you’re one of just three riders in Jumbo-Visma who’s done all three of the Vueltas with Primož Roglič that he has won. That must be quite a special feeling.
RG: Definitely. I think these have been some of the best years of my career. Maybe not when it comes to personal results but as a team result and as a team player you can also enjoy those. With Primož specially, because he’s a really nice guy to work for.
CN: In what way?
RG: He gives back a lot. And he has a lot of fun as a racer.
CN: The Vuelta has become something of a landmark for Jumbo-Visma, so it must be nice to be part of that, too.
RG: For sure. Also, in 2022 the Vuelta starts in Holland and that’ll be a good thing to look forward to as well.
CN: You’ve seen the team in many different forms, but it looks like this year Jumbo-Visma have an exceptionally high number of different cards to play - Jonas Vingegaard and Roglič for Grand Tours, but also Wout van Aert in many different roles, Tom Dumoulin, Rohan Dennis - it’s a long list.
RG: That’s our secret [for success]. Just looking at the Tour de France, you need to field as many different kinds of riders as possible if you want to make it difficult for the guy who beat us twice.
CN: And what about the Giro for Dumoulin?
RG: Well, look at how his first time in the Tour with us went [In 2020, when Dumoulin finished seventh - ed.] after all that time he had been out. He’s found his joy in racing again and if he keeps improving he can be there with the very best.
CN: As for Primož, with two big setbacks in the Tour in as many years but able to bounce back in the Vuelta…have those wins helped keep him on track for the Tour?
RG: I see it more as an example of how strong a person can be, how a person can keep on going and then be that good again… specially after he lost the Tour like that [in 2020] right at the end. Also winning the Olympic title after last year’s tough Tour was really impressive. So, I don’t doubt that he’s mentally strong enough to win the Tour for sure. Although [chuckles], Primož always just seems to laugh about it [the setbacks]!
CN: Does that surprise you?
RG: I think that’s his way of coping with things. If you’re that good on the bike and that strong it’s probably easier. But he just seems to laugh it [the setbacks] away. After a day when he thinks he could have won and he loses, he’ll say ‘oh, that was stupid’ and then the next day he’ll try again. Like that downhill in the 2021 Vuelta [on stage 10 to Rincon de la Victoria - ed.] when he crashed, he came on the bus and said ‘sorry boys, that was so stupid. I shouldn’t have done that!’ But then later on he goes for it again. He’s a really interesting character in the team to work with, as well as being really strong. I have massive respect for him.
CN: And for you, as a rider who’s had a number of setbacks in your career, is it helpful to compare yourself and your attitudes to his way of looking at things?
RG: Definitely. We can all learn from his capabilities. I mean, we’re all quite good at putting misfortunes behind us because that’s what a cyclist’s life is all about. If you look around there are plenty of guys who’ve lost their hopes or lost their nice results because of some misfortune. But Primož is definitely one of those who can cope with those unfortunate moments really well.
CN: Regarding another climber, Kuss was part of the team that had to turn things around in the Tour to try and regain momentum after Roglič quit. Do you think last year was another milestone for him?
RG: Yes. He got his first top 10 in a Grand Tour and then rode so well in the Tour, winning that Andorra stage, which was one of the hardest. That was a big step forward. I’m sure he’s got a lot of potential in all sorts of areas, and it’s up to him where he wants to go and grow. Maybe he wants to be a GC leader for a team. Because I also saw how he won his Vuelta stage [back in 2019 - ed.] and he could also do great things in the role he’s got now.
CN: And what would be a good year for Robert Gesink in 2022?
RG: Difficult to say! I’d be very happy to make it four in a row in the Vuelta for Primož. That would be great.
