No secret to success as Dutch team looks to win one of the Classics
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Sebastian Langeveld (Rabobank) on the podium(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Oscar Freire (Rabobank) takes his first win of the season at the Ruta del Sol.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Stage four winner Robert Gesink (Rabobank) on the podium.(Image credit: Lloyd Images/ Muscat Municipality)
The Rabobank squad has had an exceptional start to the 2011 season: not only does it have more wins than any other team so far, it also won the opening race of the Belgian season, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, for the first time ever.
Theo Bos, Robert Gesink and Oscar Freire have each contributed two victories, with Michael Matthews, Lars Boom and Sebastian Langeveld taking one each.
Sport Director Erik Breukink seems to be just as surprised as anyone else. “I have no idea what the secret is,” he told ad.nl.
Whatever it is, it is not an overnight success. “You can't say what one thing we have done to succeed. There is no button to push and it will work. This is the work of years, paying off now.”
Breukink does not assume, however, that this streak will guarantee wins in the top Spring Classics. "No, there are never guarantees, even though we have riders who can do that. Oscar Freire in Milan-San Remo for example.
"But we have to keep our feet on the ground. This is sport, you know that hard times will come again. We have a stable organization, it is important to work calmly. Although we look at it this way: if we don't win one of the five major Spring Classics, the spring won't be a success.”
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