Thomas Dekker rolls in in fifth, his best ever classics result (Image credit: Elmar Krings)
Team Rabobank had mixed reactions to its performance in the Amstel Gold Race. It was happy with Thomas Dekker's fifth place, which was his first top five ranking in a classic, and it was happy with its overall performance. But it had hoped for more.
"We are not walking around all smiles; that is clear," said Directeur Sportif Erik Breukink on the team's website, rabobank.nl. "I, however, cannot blame the team. None of them. Neither can I blame Thomas. He made the best of it. The group with which he rode to the finish consisted of world-class riders. Men who can dream of arrivals such as these and who are very explosive. Plus, Thomas had reached his absolute limits. This really was the highest feasible result."
The 23 year-old Dekker was disappointed to a certain extent, but also satisfied. "With this group of riders, this was just the maximum result on the Cauberg; one must be fair and honest about that." He added, "I don't think we made any mistakes. The team rode a strong, alert and dominant race."
He thanked his team-mates for their help, notably Juan Antonio Flecha and Robert Gesink, while questioning whether former World Champion Oscar Freire could have played a bigger role. "All the compliments for the team. A shame that Oscar could not re-claim his position after the Keuteberg? Yes, even though I question whether he could have played a role on the Cauberg. After all, there was a reason for why he had fallen behind," Dekker said. "The picture was clear to me after the Keuteberg. I had to finish it off for the team, but some men just had more power and energy left."
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