Battles for the stage, overall and team classifications see near misses for Dutch team
Rabobank had a number of cards to play in stage eleven of the Vuelta a España between Verín and Estación de Esquí Alto de la Manzaneda. The Dutch team managed to place Luis León Sanchez in the large breakaway group meant that the Spanish rider could battle for the stage victory, while behind him in the peloton the rest of the team was to try to take time in the overall classification for Bauke Mollema.
Mollema had held the lead after stage nine to la Covatilla, but lost it to Chris Froome (Team Sky) after just one day as he conceded 2’10” to the Kenyan-born Briton in the stage ten time trial.
The day was to one of near misses for the orange and blue team though, with Sanchez collecting third, and Mollema finishing in the same group as new race leader Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky).
"With Luis León, we wanted to win the stage,” explained the team’s sports director Erik Dekker to rabosport.nl. “Third is, of course, a good result, but we wanted the victory. The stage was ridden with that in mind, because it was a really good group and they got enough of a lead."
With Sanchez - the winner of the ninth stage of the Tour de France - up the road, Rabobank also had a chance to make up some time on rivals RadioShack in the overall team standings.
“Sanchez’ attack was also good for the team competition, which obviously we’re playing for,” Dekker explained. "That's a nice side-effect of such an attack, but we know the other well qualified teams were also up there. However, our focus is on the classification of Bauke, but why not also compete for this?"
In the event though, despite Sanchez finishing 25 seconds ahead of RadioShack’s Sergio Paulinho, strong finishes for Haimar Zubeldia and Janez Brajkovic meant that the American team has increased its lead over Rabobank by eight seconds, and takes the lead in the competition from Leopard Trek.
The relatively shallow gradients of la Manzaneda, as well as a strong headwind on the stage meant that it was a large group for favourites that entered the final kilometres together. After attacks from a number of riders though, many of whom were from Rabobank, the main field was reduced to little more than a dozen by the time it reached the finish.
“It was a very defensive final climb, a large group stayed together for a long time, said Dekker. “But we are good at the game, as you could see. Steven [Kruijswijk] tried to break it open; Tom Jelte [Slagter] stuck on his wheel with Bauke going on. It’s a sign that we’ve gone through the rest day well.
“Bauke feels good,” he added, “otherwise the team wouldn’t have ridden for him.”
With Slagter and Kruijswijk doing their utmost to break things up for Mollema, they inevitably both lost time at the finish, with Slagter conceding 49 seconds to the lead group and Kruijswijk losing 2’17”.
"That is part of the game,” Dekker conceded. “What Tom-Jelte did was very impressive, but Steven has also done what was necessary. If you keep attacking, then you can end up losing. But that's not very important, with the aim of the Bauke’s ranking in mind."
Mollema started the day 1’07” behind Froome, and ends it 47 seconds behind Wiggins; he also rose from seventh to sixth, after climbing above Maxime Monfort (Leopard Trek). With no more time trials and plenty of mountains to go, the Dutch climber will be confident of rising further.