At the end of 2012 the cycling world looked like lost one of its icons following the ASADA reasoned decision. Rabobank stated it would no longer sponsor a team at the top level considered the depth of systematic doping in the sport. It could no longer associate its name with EPO and stepped away from the sport. It did however pledge to fund the team till the end of the contract it had signed. So in 2013 the season begun with Rabobank being rebranded as Blanco in a black, white and blue kit with all the riders knowing that they were chasing victories not for their palmares but to ensure the team would continue.
At the Tour Down Under Tom Slagter won the overall and team shot to the top of the UCI World Tour rankings. For a team needed to secure a long term sponsor, Blanco were making headlines. In June it was made public the team had secured a new sponsor and would be known as Belkin. Therefore, the season is best reviewed in two halves with the Blanco spring season and the Summer of Belkin.
In the reviews of last season wrote the team needed to improve in grand tour’s and team classification victories. Further I also said that ‘the limited stage race victory count is far too low for a team with numerous riders capable of winning such races and should be rectified in 2013. All eyes will be on Bauke Mollema and Robert Gesink as they try to crack the top five of a Grand Tour and this is their time to do so.’
With five riders leaving last season and seven coming in, this change wasn’t drastic. the incoming riders were largely to add support to the team although the added to the teams win account. The team had more wins in 2013 which included an improvement in overall classification wins. More importantly, Mollema was sixth overall at the Tour de France as he delivered on his potential.
The season however begun at January with Tom-Jelte Slagter taking a stage win, young riders classification and overall at the Tour Down Under. While Slagter felt blackmailed by the team for not resigning his victory raised many eyebrows as to what this young Dutch talent was capable of.
February was another successful month with Lars Boom taking a stage at the Tour Méditerranéen, Theo Bos and Paul Martens taking wins at the Volta ao Algarve. Boom won again at Tour du Haut Var while Bos bossed it at the Tour of Langkawi where Tom Leezer also grabbed a win. Mark Renshaw took out the Clásica de Almería for one of two wins in the year.
March brought a sole win with Bos taking Stage 1 at Critérium International as the team’s winning momentum slowed. Young gc star Wilco Kelderman added another young rider classification to his palmares as the T our de Romandie. At 22 he looks certain to keep on collecting white jerseys.
Luis Leon Sanchez made a return to racing in May as he won a stage at the Tour of Belgium while Bos took out a stage at the Glava Tour of Norway. Sanchez had been laying low after investigations over allegations of doping were ended. Sep Vanmarcke won his first race for his new team in June after coming so close at Paris-Roubaix. Gesink withdrew from the Giro after a disappointing race and looked to riding the Tour as a super domestique.
June was a highlight for the team with Belkin committing to sponsorship. Mollema celebrated with Stage 2 victory at the Tour de Suisse and second place overall. A week later and Bos, Boom and Robert Wagner took out stages at the Ster ZLM Toer. Boom win the race outright on the same day Paul Martens won the overall at that Tour of Luxembourg. In doing so, Blanco won their only team classification.
While there was no success victory wise in July, Mollema and Laurens ten Dam made sure the cycling world knew who Belkin were. The new green and black kit was ever present in the top ten although ten Dam did finish 13th overall. After threatening to crack the Tour top ten following fourth place at the 2011 Vuelta de España, Mollema gave hope to the Dutch with his sixth place.
Wilco Kelderman went to the Danmark Rundt, all but cleaning up. He won Stage 5 on the way to overall victory, points classification and young riders classification. New signing Lars Petter Nordhaug won the mountains classification at his home tour, the Arctic Race of Norway in its debut edition. Sanchez took out a stage at the Tour de l'Ain, Renshaw at the Eneco Tour and Maarten Tjallingii at the World Ports Classic. To top it off, Boom won the Eneco Tour points classification and there was victory in the Tour de l'Ain team classification.
Slagter won the Tour of Alberta mountain classification in September before a handful of wins finished off the season. Mollema finished a dismal 52nd at the Vuelta taking it easy which was still the best placed Belkin rider. The highlight was the victory on Stage 17 ahead of Edvald Boasson Hagen. In Canada Gesink took victory in the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec to add to his 2010 GP Montréal win. Vanmarcke was victorious at the GP Impanis-Van Petegem to cap off September.
The last season win at the Münsterland Giro by Jos van Emden was added to by Bos at the Tour of Hainan with four consecutive stage wins. Moreno Hofland also won a stage and leads the race at time of writing.
Season Highlights: After securing a new sponsor, the Tour performance by Mollema was a season high. The Dutchman was a surprise top ten finisher yet anyone who has followed him knows this was validation of the column inches that have been dedicated to him. In the English speaking media it has been teammate Gesink that has attracted attention.
The stage win at the Vuelta capped off a success season for Mollema and now has the belief that he is up there with the best gc riders in the peloton
The decision to Belkin to join the team was a highlight which spurred on riders to prove their worth. The overall victory by Kelderman was a sign of his improvements while Bos’s wins in the sprints was an indicated of the variety of means the team had to achieve victory. Gesink’s late season win in Canada topped off the season in style which reminded the peloton of his talents.
Season Lowlights: The barring of Sanchez early in the season and then mutual agreement to move him on was a lowlight for a team painting a picture of stringent anti-doping position. Sanchez did very little on the bike, results wise in 2013, and the decision to let him go is a sign that the team wants to cut its ties to a murky past.
Belkin taking over sponsorship prior to the Tour saved the team’s season from being a catastrophe. With the green and black aesthetics the team went to record an impressive end to the team with little disappointment.
Rider of the Season: For his aforementioned Tour ride, Mollema was the standout rider in 2013 but he was flanked by some other impressive results. ten Dam showed the peloton that he has more to his bow than an impressive beard in July as he just slipped out of the top ten after a strong three week race. In the sprints Bos clocked up numerous wins although a grand tour stage win would be a nice addition to his palmares as he chased smaller results.
Signing of the season: Although he didn’t deliver the big classics win, Vanmarcke at Paris-Roubaix proved he was a worthy signing losing by only inches. He rode his first Tour but without much fanfare, playing the role of domestique. A classics result in 2014 is beyond him and hopefully warmer weather leads to zero cancellations of races and therefore more opportunity for victory.
Disappointing rider of the season: The fiasco with Sanchez detracted from a successful season although there were other disappointing results in 2013. On the bike, Renshaw was disappointing in his second season as a sprinter with just two wins. He wasn’t exactly treated as the top sprinter by the team and his move to Omega Pharma-Quick Step looks best for both parties. Renshaw will know that he tried his luck as a sprinter and won’t be leading out Mark Cavendish forever wondering if maybe he is just a little bit faster than the manx missile.
Young rider Steven Kruijswijk was eight at the 2011 Giro but since then has only threatened to replicate that form. In 2013 his best result was tenth overall at the Tour of Alberta late in the season. With Mollema, Gesink and Kelderman all improving in 2013, he may find that his role at the team is best suited to being a domestique.
Jack Bobridge signed for Blanco last year hoping for a new start. He rode the Giro but withdrew which makes for a record of three Giros and three DNF’s. With a season under his belt hopefully he can improve and post some results. Bobridge has performed well on the track and looked like setting the road alight but injuries and the revelation that he suffers from rheumatoid arthritis have partly explained his alack of results.
2014 Prospects: With very little change in the team roster, Belkin have the good to constantly deliver the wins. The challenge in 2014 will be to win big at World Tour level. They have riders who have proven that they can do so and Mollema’s Tour ride is evidence of this. An early classics win by Vanmarcke would be a good foundation for chasing wins but without the pressure of the need to attract a sponsor, there will be a question over whether riders will be complacent next season. Some riders in the last year of their contract will need to post results while others may just push the pedals and look for safe results. However the rise of Kelderman as a gc rider could place some heat on Gesink, Mollema and ten Dam.
UCI Points: 11th ranked team with 714 points: Mollema (232), Gesink (145), Kelderman (130), Slagter (127), Vanmarcke (80)
Season Highlights: After securing a new sponsor, the Tour performance by Mollema was a season high. The Dutchman was a surprise top ten finisher yet anyone who has followed him knows this was validation of the column inches that have been dedicated to him. In the English speaking media it has been teammate Gesink that has attracted attention.
The stage win at the Vuelta capped off a success season for Mollema and now has the belief that he is up there with the best gc riders in the peloton
The decision to Belkin to join the team was a highlight which spurred on riders to prove their worth. The overall victory by Kelderman was a sign of his improvements while Bos’s wins in the sprints was an indicated of the variety of means the team had to achieve victory. Gesink’s late season win in Canada topped off the season in style which reminded the peloton of his talents.
Season Lowlights: The barring of Sanchez early in the season and then mutual agreement to move him on was a lowlight for a team painting a picture of stringent anti-doping position. Sanchez did very little on the bike, results wise in 2013, and the decision to let him go is a sign that the team wants to cut its ties to a murky past.
Belkin taking over sponsorship prior to the Tour saved the team’s season from being a catastrophe. With the green and black aesthetics the team went to record an impressive end to the team with little disappointment.
Rider of the Season: For his aforementioned Tour ride, Mollema was the standout rider in 2013 but he was flanked by some other impressive results. ten Dam showed the peloton that he has more to his bow than an impressive beard in July as he just slipped out of the top ten after a strong three week race. In the sprints Bos clocked up numerous wins although a grand tour stage win would be a nice addition to his palmares as he chased smaller results.
Signing of the season: Although he didn’t deliver the big classics win, Vanmarcke at Paris-Roubaix proved he was a worthy signing losing by only inches. He rode his first Tour but without much fanfare, playing the role of domestique. A classics result in 2014 is beyond him and hopefully warmer weather leads to zero cancellations of races and therefore more opportunity for victory.
Disappointing rider of the season: The fiasco with Sanchez detracted from a successful season although there were other disappointing results in 2013. On the bike, Renshaw was disappointing in his second season as a sprinter with just two wins. He wasn’t exactly treated as the top sprinter by the team and his move to Omega Pharma-Quick Step looks best for both parties. Renshaw will know that he tried his luck as a sprinter and won’t be leading out Mark Cavendish forever wondering if maybe he is just a little bit faster than the manx missile.
Young rider Steven Kruijswijk was eight at the 2011 Giro but since then has only threatened to replicate that form. In 2013 his best result was tenth overall at the Tour of Alberta late in the season. With Mollema, Gesink and Kelderman all improving in 2013, he may find that his role at the team is best suited to being a domestique.
Jack Bobridge signed for Blanco last year hoping for a new start. He rode the Giro but withdrew which makes for a record of three Giros and three DNF’s. With a season under his belt hopefully he can improve and post some results. Bobridge has performed well on the track and looked like setting the road alight but injuries and the revelation that he suffers from rheumatoid arthritis have partly explained his alack of results.
2014 Prospects: With very little change in the team roster, Belkin have the good to constantly deliver the wins. The challenge in 2014 will be to win big at World Tour level. They have riders who have proven that they can do so and Mollema’s Tour ride is evidence of this. An early classics win by Vanmarcke would be a good foundation for chasing wins but without the pressure of the need to attract a sponsor, there will be a question over whether riders will be complacent next season. Some riders in the last year of their contract will need to post results while others may just push the pedals and look for safe results. However the rise of Kelderman as a gc rider could place some heat on Gesink, Mollema and ten Dam.
UCI Points: 11th ranked team with 714 points: Mollema (232), Gesink (145), Kelderman (130), Slagter (127), Vanmarcke (80)
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