Spanish legend recounts classic anecdote about young Groenewegen: “Don’t make a pitbull angry”

Joaquim Rodríguez was one of the very best riders of his generation. The small climber from Spain won Il Lombardia twice, La Flèche Wallonne and fourteen Grand Tour stages. He also finished second overall in both the Vuelta a España and the Giro d’Italia, and third in the Tour de France. In short: Rodríguez was a big name in the peloton.

Over the course of his long career, the now 46-year-old Spaniard came across plenty of colourful characters. On the Puro Ciclismo podcast, Rodríguez looks back on a moment from his final season as a professional, in 2016. At the time, Groenewegen was riding his first WorldTour season with LottoNL-Jumbo. “That one really is a pitbull,” Rodríguez says in the Puro Ciclismo podcast.

The incident took place during the neutralised section of a race, before the official start. “I was talking, with one hand off the handlebars. He touched my handlebar and I almost fell. Of course I turned around and saw him – a buffalo,” Rodríguez recounts.

Gesink, who speaks fluent English and has lived in Catalonia for years, where Rodríguez is from, was able to calm the situation. “He said that he’s a bit special,” Rodríguez laughs.

The Spaniard concludes with a clear lesson from the encounter: “Don’t make a pitbull angry.” Almost ten years after his retirement, Groenewegen is now preparing for a new chapter, having recently signed with Unibet Rose Rockets. He is set to make his debut for the team this Sunday.