Daan Luijkx of Team Vacansoleil-DCM appreciated Thomas De Gendt’s Giro finish
Team Vacansoleil-DCM is enjoying the best week of road racing since its formation in 2008.
Thomas De Gendt helped the side with one stage and an overall victory at the Giro d’Italia 2012.
The cyclist rode brilliantly throughout the three-week race and took its performance to the next level during the penultimate stage of the event.
He wins the stage 20 of the Giro and also managed the third overall position after the final general classifications.
Thomas finished 1 minute and 39 seconds behind the race leader Ryder Hesjedal of Team Garmin-Barracuda while Joaquim Rodriguez of Team Katusha occupied the second spot with a deficit of 16 seconds.
Team’s General Manager Daan Luijkx was delighted after the stunning performance of his young gun.
He told De Telegraaf after the race, "When Thomas was four kilometres below the summit [on stage 20], I had boarded the plane [to Italy]".
"It was the most beautiful thing. And in Italy it was obviously important that we were on our Bianchi bikes with a sticker that referred to the performance of their hero Fausto Coppi, who won the Giro and Tour using the same brand”.
"Beforehand [ahead of the final stage time trial] we were more than satisfied that the fourth place was good,” Daan concluded.
Team Vacansoleil-DCM manages to grab the 11th overall position after the final team’s classifications.
Team Lampre-ISD topped the classifications with Team Movistar, Team Sky, Team Astana and Team Garmin-Barracuda holding the next four spots.
The final list of team’s rankings after the final general classifications is as below,
1
Lampre – ISD
274:19:46
2
Movistar Team
0:10:53
3
Sky Procycling
0:37:07
4
Astana Pro Team
0:43:12
5
Garmin – Barracuda
0:51:52
6
Liquigas – Cannondale
0:54:09
7
Euskaltel – Euskadi
0:56:27
8
Colnago - CSF Inox
1:10:25
9
Ag2R La Mondiale
1:22:12
10
Katusha Team
1:30:51
11
Vacansoleil - DCM Pro C.Team
1:51:37
12
Androni Giocattoli – Venezuela
2:18:54
13
BMC Racing Team
2:33:50
14
Radioshack – Nissan
2:39:42
15
Lotto Belisol Team
2:49:55
16
Omega Pharma - Quickstep
3:08:39
17
Rabobank Cycling Team
4:18:50
18
FDJ - Bigmat
5:42:55
19
Farnese Vini - Selle Italia
6:54:50
20
Team Netapp
7:21:26
21
Team Saxo Bank
8:28:59
22
Orica Greenedge
10:22:40
Tags: