"He can’t be left out" - Not Jonas Vingegaard, not Primoz Roglic, who was Robert Gesnik's best teammate?

At 38 years old, Robert Gesink brought the curtain down on his professional cycling career following the 2024 Vuelta a Espana. Known as one of the most reliable and selfless domestiques of his generation, Gesink retired after playing a pivotal role in the rise of Team Visma | Lease a Bike.

In an interview with Wieler Revue, Gesink reflected on his career and shared his ultimate cycling dream team. With a laugh, he acknowledged that he could just choose the entirety of the 2023 Jumbo-Visma squad from the Vuelta. That team featured the winner, Sepp Kuss, alongside Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic, who together achieved an unprecedented clean sweep of the podium. Jumbo-Visma's dominance extended across the entire season, with the team winning all three Grand Tours in 2023, achieving one of the greatest seasons in cycling history.

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However, one rider stood out as indispensable in Gesink’s eyes: Wout van Aert.

“Of course, he can’t be left out,” Gesink said of his former teammate. “The man can be used in so many areas. Uphill, a crowbar in the race, a team player. What description doesn’t fit him? Every day he is fully motivated. You sometimes have those rides where you are focused on surviving the day. You don’t want to get hurt and then go for it a stage later.

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“But when you have Wout with you, you are on your toes every day. Then a lap like that flies by. He really keeps everyone on their toes, because in principle he can win every day. As team management, you have to make clear choices. One day is for Wout and the next day for someone else.”

Gesink’s retirement marks the end of a remarkable career that spanned nearly two decades. While he spent much of his later years supporting others, he also enjoyed his own moments of glory. In 2016, he claimed a brilliant stage win at the Vuelta a Espana, and earlier in his career, Gesink triumphed at the Giro dell’Emilia in consecutive years, 2009 and 2010. Above all, he was one of the most popular riders in the peloton, and will certainly be missed as he moves into gravel racing.