Gesink's words feel particularly bitter after Giro crash, Uijtdebroeks says mentor's dropout is "really shitty"

Cycling is a strange sport: one moment you're basking in the morning sun, and a few hours later, you're lying on the ground with a face contorted in pain. This was the case for Robert Gesink, the seasoned pro from Visma | Lease a Bike who has faced so much in his long career. On Saturday, before the start of the second stage, it was official: DNS (Did Not Start). IDLProCycling.com had spoken with Gesink before the start of day one and caught up with his team director and leader the following day.

"We want to help Cian in a free role wherever possible," Gesink had said with confidence on Saturday. The 37-year-old climber is on his farewell tour, as he plans to retire after 2024. "Sometimes it’s really nice to be in your last year, like when you’re riding in the pouring rain in Romandie. I won’t miss those moments. At other times, it feels strange to think that it’s almost over, but it’s a well-considered decision and I still stand fully behind it. I’m looking forward to what comes next, but first, I want to do my best in this Giro. The second part of a grand tour is always my best, so I hope to be at my best then."

Those words sting when you hear them after a crash in the first stage towards Turin. And then, Gesink also had comforting words for his buddy Koen Bouwman, who had to miss the Giro at the last minute due to illness. Those words now apply to him too. "It's really shitty, of course," he said. "We all work hard towards a goal, and I missed the start here last year due to COVID-19. That's worthless, but unfortunately, it's also part of this sport. On the day he called, he was still really sick and had a fever. It wasn't wise to start."

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Visma | Lease a Bike tremendously disappointed by loss of Gesink

Addy Engels, team manager of Visma | Lease a Bike, had barely recovered from the news of Gesink's withdrawal on Sunday morning. A broken hand was the diagnosis. "We still had some hope after the finish. He crossed the line and we immediately took a photo. There was some doubt, so we had him further examined at the finish. At the hospital, we ultimately had to decide that it wasn't possible."

"The news hit us hard," emphasizes Engels. "You never want to lose someone on the first day of a grand tour, especially not a huge contributor like Robert, but there was no other option. He was determined to ride a great tour for the team, and he had done everything in preparation for that. Even though he's experienced all that he has, it never gets easier."

Of course, this is yet another setback for the Dutch team, after enduring blow after blow in the spring with crashes of Wout van Aert and Jonas Vingegaard. "For us, we've had more than enough for a while, but that's out of our control. They say when you're down, the blows keep coming. Each time we hope it's over, but until today, it hasn't stopped. We move on, there's no other choice. Our goals remain the same, we just have to do it without Robert. As sad and unfortunate as it is, we have to look to the future and see what we can achieve."

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Gesink can no longer provide advice to Uijtdebroeks

For Visma | Lease a Bike, the withdrawal of Gesink came as a blow, especially for Cian Uijtdebroeks. The young Belgian is in the Giro to contend in the classification, and the experienced Gesink was supposed to play an important role in that. With only Attila Valter and Jan Tratnik left for the mountains, a third of his support suddenly disappears. "It's really not nice, also because he was one of the climbers who could support me. That really sucks," Uijtdebroeks honestly expressed.

However, team manager Engels also sees a silver lining in the first stage. "Cian and Attila were doing good, and Jan Tratnik was still there, in a selective group. It was nice to see that we were there with three men. It indicates that the level is good, we've started well." In the next three weeks, Gesink won't be able to provide advice to his young leader. "We went on a training camp together in Tenerife, so we got to know each other a bit," the now withdrawn rider said regarding Uijtdebroeks. "In the end, I can tell him about all my mistakes and the good things, but you learn best when you experience it yourself."