Robert Gesink finished 21st in the third stage the Tour de l’Ain today in France. Team LottoNL-Jumbo’s front man, who was tested for the first time since his crash in the Tour de Suisse, wasn’t able to follow the best climbers, but came away with confidence. Sam Oomen (Giant - Alpecin) won the stage and took the overall lead.

“The race exploded on the final climb,” Sports Director Nico Verhoeven said. “13 riders made a difference. Robert Gesink had to test himself for the first time since June when he crashed. He wasn’t able to go along with the best, but he wasn’t too far behind at the top of the climb.

Race rhythm

“He is coming from far behind. He is taking his first steps during this race, so he isn’t already at the point he has to be. You can see, though, he’s really made progress.” This result isn’t something to be very proud of, of course,” Gesink added. “I know that those months of inactivity are not in my favour. I need some race rhythm to get back at my old level. I always want to deliver something beautiful, but this race presents a possibility to test myself most of all. This helps me to improve.”

“Tomorrow, Robert has another hard stage to come,” Verhoeven said. “There are two tough climbs in the stage, and the Colombière is one of them. We’re not going to compete for the victory,though, because Robert needs some time.”