Tipped as one of the outsiders prior to the Giro d’Italia, Robert Gesink (Blanco) was “in a slump” upon his return to the Netherlands after being forced to abandon Italian Grand Tour. According to the rider, doubts still linger about his role on the team in the immediate future.

"It will come as no surprise when I state that the Giro d'Italia has ended in one of the biggest disappointments of my career,” Gesink told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.  “Frankly I was at that moment in a slump,” he added.

Gesink got off to a promising start during the first week of the corsa rosa, and spent the first rest day as third overall. His performances and his standings on the GC started plummeting, however, as the climbing started, and by the time the second rest day came around, Gesink had dropped to an unspectacular 13th overall.  Worse was to come on the 14th stage, held in freezing conditions. “I was so cold I couldn't move my legs anymore at the last climb,” he tweeted at the time.

Eventually Gesink would complete the stage 18 mountain time trial but by that time his ambitions for a top result lay in ruins and he chose to abandon altogether.

Gesink resumes training again next week, but remains uncertain about his designated role on the team. “What my role on the team will be, is not yet clear. Bauke Mollema is the man who has fully prepared for the Tour de France,” he said.