Nick Nuyens leaves Rabobank
Nick Nuyens has confirmed that he will be leaving team Rabobank at the end of the 2010 season, though he has not yet confirmed his destination. The Belgian cyclist has been linked to Saxo Bank, but amidst
the Alberto Contador doping scandal he may be delaying that decision. He explained that despite the team’s strengths Rabobank was never a good fit for him.
“I’m sorry that I’m leaving. I guess that I just don’t fit in with the team and the team doesn’t fit in with me."
He had some good things to say about his now former team though.
"In terms of organisation it really is the best for the both the riders and the staff,” said Nuyens. “For example, the way that the course reconnaissances were arranged was perfect.”
Nuyens has only taken two wins in his time with Rabobank, the 2009 GP de Wallonie and one stage at the 2010 Österreich-Rundfahrt. The stronger years of the 30-year-old’s career were the four he spent with
Quick Step, following his win at the Under-23 national championships. With Quick Step, he won the Tour of Britain and he then spent two years with French team Cofidis, where he was a powerful force in the classics, before moving to Rabobank in 2009.
“I don’t want to point any fingers or anything. Rabobank and I did not fit together, that’s the end of it; that’s life.”
The last two years haven’t been great for the team either. Denis Menchov and Robert Gesink have been performing well, but overall the team has been underperforming compared to its heyday.
“I don’t know, it’s hard to say,” he said. “If you have a number of riders at the finish, you should be able to work together as a team. Maybe we lacked a little bit to go through the fire for each other;
that doesn’t apply to everyone, but this way it nevertheless becomes more difficult.”
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