Rabobank changes tactics at the Tour de France

Denis Menchov’s below-expectations performance in the Tour de France’s first stage in the
Alps has left the Russian looking for stage wins rather than battling for the overall.
The Rabobank rider lost six minutes 27 seconds on the ascent to Verbiers on stage 15, won by
Spaniard Alberto Contador, and is now lying 29th overall.
Rabobank’s team manager Erik Breukink did not hide his disappointment about Menchov’s
performance.
The Tour of Italy winner in 2009 had bounced back in the Pyrenees after a poor opening time
trial, and managed to stay with the other top favourites on the first summit finish to Arcalis. But
the Alps saw the Russian lose out again.
Breukink does not rule out future attempts by the Russian to fight for stage wins, but he
insisted the team would have to re-group first following the defeat.
“Denis was in the front group for the first two kilometres of the climb to Verbiers.”
“But then he suddenly lost contact and that was it. He couldn’t do anything more.”
Breukink said that he always hoped for the best but that a stage like the one to Verbier did not
work out as planned.
“The general classification is very clear now, and we can’t really be optimistic about the overall
any more.”
“It’s extremely disappointing, we came here with really high hopes and instead things have gone
wrong for us from day one, spiralling downwards.”
However, Breukink said that all was not lost and that the team will continue to do battle.
“Stage wins are a possibility, and Menchov will fight on, as will the rest of the team. To do that,
though, you have to have the legs.”
“So we’ll sit down on tomorrow’s rest day and plan everything out. There are still six days of
the Tour left, and in Rabobank we never give up.”