New Rabobank deals for Gesink and Mollema

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UCI WorldTour team Rabobank announced that two of its riders, Robert Gesink and Bauke Mollema, have agreed to extend their contacts with the team until the end of 2014. The Dutch riders are considered to be key components in Rabobank's challenge for top honours at the world's most prestigious races over the next three seasons. The Dutch team is currently reaching the latter stages of its pre-season training camp in Mallorca.

Geskink, 25, joined Rabobank in 2007 and finished sixth in the 2010 Tour de France. He will shortly be heading out to the Gulf to defend the Tour of Oman title that he won last year. After a highly promising start to 2011 the remainder of Gesink's season was disrupted. He lost crucial time following a crash in the Tour de France and then suffered a horrorible crash in training back in September, where he broke his femur. News of the extension to his contract proves Rabobank's faith in him and he was delighted by the news.

"I am very happy that I will be staying longer with the team," he said. "The atmosphere is good. You notice here every day at the training camp in Mallorca. I feel I can really develop with this group of colleagues."

Mollema, the 2011 Dutch Male Rider of the Year, is also 25 and signed professional forms with Rabobank a year after Gesink. He enjoyed something of a break-out year in 2011, with the main highlights being a top 10 finish at Paris-Nice and his standout performance in the Vuelta a Espana. After holding the red jersey he eventually missed out on a podium finish in the GC by finishing fourth, but he became the first Dutch rider in almost 20 years to win a classification at a Grand Tour by securing the prestigious green jersey for overall points classification.

"I feel very happy with my situation at Rabobank and am happy that the confidence ia mutual. It's great news that we have at least three more years together," Mollema said.