Tom the Butcher

Rabobank withdrew their public sponsorship of the Dutch team in the wake of USADA's reasoned decision which led to allegations, of which many have since been proven to be true, that the outfit had a chequered past of utilising drugs administrated by doctors to ensure top results by its riders. The team continues with the financial support of Rabobank but as the new team name Blanco suggests, this is a blank team with more or less a blank image. Many of the riders on the team will be riding for contracts this season not only for personal gain but to find a willing sponsor who is keen to back and support the team under a new name. To attract a sponsor before the Tour de France is a team goal and the only way that Blanco can absolutely ensure this is so is by winning and winning as often as possible. 
Tom-Jelte Slagter is a third year pro with Blanco who placed an impressive fifth at last year’s Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec and sixth overall at the Tour of Oman. The young Dutchmen’s name loosely translates to butcher in English and butcher his rivals in Stirling he did. The overall win and Stage 3 victory is a dream start to 2013 for the team and just the right result to set them on a path to numerous victories across the season. As an amateur Slagter won the U/23 Dutch national road race but the win in Adelaide was his first as a pro. Slagter has let it be known that he is more of a one day Ardennes specialist but during the Tour Down Under he added a string to his bow by defending his lead and taking the overall victory. 

The two GC men on Blanco are Robert Gesink and Bauke Mollema who are both looking at grand tour podiums in 2013. Behind these two in the pecking order are two more impressive GC riders of which one already has a top ten placing overall at the Giro d’Italia. Steven Kruijswijk was eight at the 2011 edition of the Italian grand tour and big things will be expected of him again in 2013. Wilco Kelderman was riding in support of Slagter at the TDU, placing sixth overall in doing so, suggesting good early season form. Last season Kelderman won three young rider classifications and is again eligible for this classification in 2013 and could just challenge his first grand tour for a young riders jersey with Slagter riding in support of him.

The butcher will be hoping to add to his TDU feats and his success should lessen some of the pressure placed on him and his team by the media. He will head into the Ardennes as a wild card but a marked rider. Where Joaquím Rodríguez eventually ends up is yet to be decided but his team alongside BMC will be watching the Dutchmen very closely, particularly BMC after Gilbert couldn’t match his speed on the finishing strait in Stirling.

A first pro win for Blanco and Slagter and the season starts with success. There are far bigger fish to fry across the season but with no World Tour race until Paris-Nice on March 3rd, Blanco will lead the rankings and will look to optimise their profile until then. With Gesink and Mollema, a dual attack on the GC at the Giro and Tour of California with Kelderman and Kruijswijk in support will need to produce at least a podium and hopefully a white jersey or two. Before the grand tours and big European stage races, Slagter may just have added another win or two. There is nothing to lose for Blanco in 2013, only everything to win.