Robert Gesink placed 22nd in Strade Bianche on Saturday. On the dusty roads in Tuscany, Enrico Battaglin’s crash and punctures for Timo Roosen, Mike Teunissen and Tom Van Asbroeck meant Team LottoNL-Jumbo’s front men didn’t have much help in the final. A group of strong riders escaped and Fabian Cancellara (Trek - Segafredo) won.

“This race was quite a discovery for the most of our riders,” sports director Jan Boven said after the race. “It was an exciting day and we wanted to make the most of it with a solid race plan. At first, we wanted to be in the breakaway. Tom Van Asbroeck succeeded, but we were hoping that the break would last longer. The second part of the plan was to keep Robert Gesink in good position until the race final. We failed on that part.”

Just before one of the unpaved sections, Team LottoNL-Jumbo was still with eight riders in front, but it went wrong afterwards. “We lost Enrico Battaglinbecause of a crash,” Boven added. “He was an important man for us. Afterwards, Timo Roosen, Mike Teunissen and Tom Van Asbroeck punctured. That wasin a crucial moment, and we weren’t able to come back from it.”

Mike Teunissen enjoyed his debut in Strade Bianche. “It was a beautiful race,” he said. “This race has more climbing metres than the classics in Flanders, but with the unpaved roads, it is something like the cobblestone classics. It went quite well for me for most of the day. I punctured in a chaotic moment. I ended up in the last group of riders afterwards. I finished the race with them.”