Gesink suffers and sinks in the Vuelta rankings

Sep 19th, 09.

Gesink digs deep trying hard to catch back on (c)Unipublic

Starting the day with 32sec between himself and leader Alejandro Valverde, and 38sec to 3rd placed Samuel Sanchez, Gesink knew all he had to do was hold on to the leaders over the final climbing stage of this Vuelta and he had a good chance of being on the final podium.

Gesink was involved in a peloton pile up two days ago and required hospital treatment for a deep gash in his knee as well as injuries to his elbow and back, but he bounced back in yesterday's stage retaining his 2nd position.

Before the start of today's stage Rabobank reported Gesink was feeling better, he had a good night and felt better than the previous day.

"I'm obviously not great, but a lot better than yesterday," Gesink said before racing began. 

Unfortunately, Gesink didn't have the strength he had hoped for today.  

After seeing the young Dutchman battle the five mountain top stage finishes and battle on after a bad crash, it was disappointing to see him suffering so much today.

On the second of the day's three climbs, 108km in to the stage, the 23 year old immediately dropped off the pace. The unforgiving peloton took the opportunity and increased its pace, led out by Silence Lotto.

Gesink's Rabobank team worked incredibly hard on the downhill section to catch up the 38sec deficit.  It took them twenty kilometres, but Gesink managed to rejoin the Vuelta leaders.

Unfortunately, 30km later, on the final summit of the 2009 Vuelta, he was again out the back of the peloton.  Despite his whole team working to pace him back, Gesink dropped further and further back as the pace at the front of the peloton increased.

Gesink finished 4m44s off the pace.  He is now 6th on the General Classification 5m30 behind Valverde.  All chances of a podium place in this Grand Tour are over.

Attack fueled Vuelta in final mountains