Dekker retires

Ewoud Dronkert said:

Erik Dekker announced today that he retires as a pro rider effective
immediately. Tomorrow's crit in Emmen, Netherlands and the Curaçao Race
later in the year will be his last appearances as a rider. The Tour
stage where he fell heavily was his last official UCI race. In his own
words, he doesn't have the fighting spirit and motivation left to come
back to the top level once again. His fear of falling again also played
a role in the decision. The fall hurt him quite a lot more than just
physically.
He will take take place in the Rabobank team car right after tomorrow,
as preparation for his DS job next year.

Thanks Dekkertje, you've been really great! A special kind of rider with
a special place in my heart.

Leave a message at http://www.erikdekker.nl/gastenboek_formulier.htm
(he reads them all!)

I loved his audacious attacks.

Wayne

Ewoud Dronkert said:

Thanks Dekkertje, you've been really great! A special kind of rider with
a special place in my heart.

I loved the way that guys raced. His win in Paris-Tours was amazing.
Wish I could read Dutch since he seemed really insightful and
outspoken.

JT

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"Wayne Pein" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Ewoud Dronkert said:

Erik Dekker announced today that he retires as a pro rider effective
immediately.

I loved his audacious attacks.

Wasn't that proof of his using dope?

"Ewoud Dronkert" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Erik Dekker announced today that he retires as a pro rider effective
immediately. Tomorrow's crit in Emmen, Netherlands and the Curaçao Race
later in the year will be his last appearances as a rider. The Tour stage
where he fell heavily was his last official UCI race. In his own words, he
doesn't have the fighting spirit and motivation left to come back to the
top level once again. His fear of falling again also played a role in the
decision. The fall hurt him quite a lot more than just physically.
He will take take place in the Rabobank team car right after tomorrow, as
preparation for his DS job next year.

Thanks Dekkertje, you've been really great! A special kind of rider with a
special place in my heart.

Leave a message at http://www.erikdekker.nl/gastenboek_formulier.htm
(he reads them all!)

He is a great racer. I hope that he has success in whatever is next for
him. I love the way that he would continue to attack. My favorite memory
is from the 2001 Amstel Gold race when he was in a break with LA. His team
car was telling him something and he just rode away..and won the race. It
was reported that the DS was telling to stop working and wait. That takes a
lot of guts. Imagine the wrath if he came in 2nd!

Frank Drackman said:

"Ewoud Dronkert" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Erik Dekker announced today that he retires as a pro rider effective
immediately. Tomorrow's crit in Emmen, Netherlands and the Curaçao Race
later in the year will be his last appearances as a rider. The Tour stage
where he fell heavily was his last official UCI race. In his own words, he
doesn't have the fighting spirit and motivation left to come back to the
top level once again. His fear of falling again also played a role in the
decision. The fall hurt him quite a lot more than just physically.
He will take take place in the Rabobank team car right after tomorrow, as
preparation for his DS job next year.

Thanks Dekkertje, you've been really great! A special kind of rider with a
special place in my heart.

Leave a message at http://www.erikdekker.nl/gastenboek_formulier.htm
(he reads them all!)

He is a great racer. I hope that he has success in whatever is next for
him. I love the way that he would continue to attack. My favorite memory
is from the 2001 Amstel Gold race when he was in a break with LA. His team
car was telling him something and he just rode away..and won the race. It
was reported that the DS was telling to stop working and wait. That takes a
lot of guts. Imagine the wrath if he came in 2nd!

the tour was really bad for crashes this year.... everyone who wasn't
nailed for doping crashed out- valverde, dekker, rodriguez. I was always
a big fan of Dekker's. Too bad his last race ended with a big face plant!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I loved his audacious attacks.

Wasn't that proof of his using dope?

of course it was. they're going to start really cracking down. no
future.

Quoted message said:

Frank Drackman said:

Ewoud Dronkert said:

Erik Dekker announced today that he retires as a pro rider effective
immediately. Tomorrow's crit in Emmen, Netherlands and the Curaçao Race
later in the year will be his last appearances as a rider. The Tour stage
where he fell heavily was his last official UCI race. In his own words,he
doesn't have the fighting spirit and motivation left to come back to the
top level once again. His fear of falling again also played a role in the
decision. The fall hurt him quite a lot more than just physically.
He will take take place in the Rabobank team car right after tomorrow, as
preparation for his DS job next year.

Thanks Dekkertje, you've been really great! A special kind of rider with a
special place in my heart.

Leave a message at http://www.erikdekker.nl/gastenboek_formulier.htm
(he reads them all!)

He is a great racer. I hope that he has success in whatever is next for
him. I love the way that he would continue to attack. My favorite memory
is from the 2001 Amstel Gold race when he was in a break with LA. His team
car was telling him something and he just rode away..and won the race. It
was reported that the DS was telling to stop working and wait. That takes a
lot of guts. Imagine the wrath if he came in 2nd!

Erik Dekker was always an animator of the race, one
who makes it interesting. He had a number of great
moments in the Tour. There was the year he won
three stages, and the infamous long-breakaway
stage in the rain in 2001 (the one where the peloton
gave Francois Simon and company 30 minutes), where
in the finale Dekker and Servais Knaven worked over Aitor
Gonzalez, who fought bravely. I think my favorite was
one he didn't win: in 2002 to Plouay, when Dekker still
hadn't fully come back from his broken leg in Milano-Sanremo.
He was in a break with Karsten Kroon and about five other
people, and he was getting dropped on the final bumps in
the road, but he kept clawing back and going to the front,
making desperate attacks, not to win but to force
the others to chase. So they were all softened up and
Kroon, a decent sprinter, won the sprint handily (oddly,
it was Knaven again who lost out). It was a rare
demonstration of tactical nous and unselfishness.

Ben

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Frank Drackman said:

Ewoud Dronkert said:

Erik Dekker announced today that he retires as a pro rider effective
immediately. Tomorrow's crit in Emmen, Netherlands and the Curaçao Race
later in the year will be his last appearances as a rider. The Tour
stage
where he fell heavily was his last official UCI race. In his own words,
he
doesn't have the fighting spirit and motivation left to come back to the
top level once again. His fear of falling again also played a role in
the
decision. The fall hurt him quite a lot more than just physically.
He will take take place in the Rabobank team car right after tomorrow,
as
preparation for his DS job next year.

Thanks Dekkertje, you've been really great! A special kind of rider with
a
special place in my heart.

Leave a message at http://www.erikdekker.nl/gastenboek_formulier.htm
(he reads them all!)

He is a great racer. I hope that he has success in whatever is next for
him. I love the way that he would continue to attack. My favorite memory
is from the 2001 Amstel Gold race when he was in a break with LA. His
team
car was telling him something and he just rode away..and won the race. It
was reported that the DS was telling to stop working and wait. That takes
a
lot of guts. Imagine the wrath if he came in 2nd!

Erik Dekker was always an animator of the race, one
who makes it interesting. He had a number of great
moments in the Tour. There was the year he won
three stages, and the infamous long-breakaway
stage in the rain in 2001 (the one where the peloton
gave Francois Simon and company 30 minutes), where
in the finale Dekker and Servais Knaven worked over Aitor
Gonzalez, who fought bravely. I think my favorite was
one he didn't win: in 2002 to Plouay, when Dekker still
hadn't fully come back from his broken leg in Milano-Sanremo.
He was in a break with Karsten Kroon and about five other
people, and he was getting dropped on the final bumps in
the road, but he kept clawing back and going to the front,
making desperate attacks, not to win but to force
the others to chase. So they were all softened up and
Kroon, a decent sprinter, won the sprint handily (oddly,
it was Knaven again who lost out). It was a rare
demonstration of tactical nous and unselfishness.

Thanks for pointing out another example or Erik Dekker being a great bike
racer. I was sad when Ludo retired but he was not in the same class as
Erik. I read that he will become a DS. I hope that he finds tactics to
motivate the young riders and doesn't get frustrated with the process.

Ewoud Dronkert said:

Erik Dekker announced today that he retires as a pro rider effective
immediately. Tomorrow's crit in Emmen, Netherlands and the Curaçao Race
later in the year will be his last appearances as a rider. The Tour
stage where he fell heavily was his last official UCI race. In his own
words, he doesn't have the fighting spirit and motivation left to come
back to the top level once again. His fear of falling again also played
a role in the decision. The fall hurt him quite a lot more than just
physically.
He will take take place in the Rabobank team car right after tomorrow,
as preparation for his DS job next year.

Thanks Dekkertje, you've been really great! A special kind of rider with
a special place in my heart.

Leave a message at http://www.erikdekker.nl/gastenboek_formulier.htm
(he reads them all!)

I still remember when he beat Armstrong at the Amstel Gold Race,
just incredible ... He was/is a great rider !

debe

email hidden said:

It was a rare
demonstration of tactical nous and unselfishness.

I think he demonstrated tactical cleverness quite often.

JT

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"John Forrest Tomlinson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

email hidden said:

It was a rare
demonstration of tactical nous and unselfishness.

I think he demonstrated tactical cleverness quite often.

A perfect exemple was his win in Lausanne (Tour 2000), when with three or
four kilometres to go Dekker broke free with Mario Aerts. When they passed
the red banner Aerts glued on Dekker's wheel. With 500 to go, the bunch
came dangerously close. Dekker looked back, seemed to capitulate and sat up
straight for a a fraction of a second. Aerts saw his chance and sprinted
forwards. Which was exactly what Dekker had expected. Now it was he who
glued on the wheel of the Belgian and when Aerts's forced were spent, Dekker
pulled out ahead and passed the finishline a few metres before the pack

Benjo

benjo maso said:

"John Forrest Tomlinson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

email hidden said:

It was a rare
demonstration of tactical nous and unselfishness.

I think he demonstrated tactical cleverness quite often.

A perfect exemple was his win in Lausanne (Tour 2000), when with three or
four kilometres to go Dekker broke free with Mario Aerts. When they passed
the red banner Aerts glued on Dekker's wheel. With 500 to go, the bunch
came dangerously close. Dekker looked back, seemed to capitulate and sat up
straight for a a fraction of a second. Aerts saw his chance and sprinted
forwards. Which was exactly what Dekker had expected. Now it was he who
glued on the wheel of the Belgian and when Aerts's forced were spent, Dekker
pulled out ahead and passed the finishline a few metres before the pack

Sweet!

Rabobank is getting to be a very substantial team and with Dekker in the team
car I'm thinking they'll become even better. We're going to enjoy watching them.

Ron

John Forrest Tomlinson said:

Quoted message said:

It was a rare
demonstration of tactical nous and unselfishness.

I think he demonstrated tactical cleverness quite often.

Yeah, sorry, I meant rare in the sense that you don't
see it so clearly right on your TV as it's happening
that often, not rare for Dekker.

I blame my lack of tactical judgment.

John Forrest Tomlinson said:

email hidden said:

It was a rare
demonstration of tactical nous and unselfishness.

I think he demonstrated tactical cleverness quite often.

I can only remember an obvious mistake from Dekker. It was a day of rare
tactics at RVV in 2002 when he misestimated his own strength and started
the sprint too late to overtake final winner Bortolami. Easily the
biggest disappointment of his career, not winning a Monument.

Jenko

Jenko schreef:

Quoted message said:

I can only remember an obvious mistake from Dekker. It was a day of rare
tactics at RVV in 2002 when he misestimated his own strength and started
the sprint too late to overtake final winner Bortolami. Easily the
biggest disappointment of his career, not winning a Monument.

Yes. Man that was agony!

--
E. Dronkert

Jenko schreef:

Quoted message said:

I can only remember an obvious mistake from Dekker. It was a day of rare
tactics at RVV in 2002 when he misestimated his own strength and started
the sprint too late to overtake final winner Bortolami. Easily the
biggest disappointment of his career, not winning a Monument.

Yes. Man that was agony! There was another big prize he just missed out
on, Worlds in Portugal. Although one could say he didn't have a
realistic chance, he came mighty close for a non-obvious sprinter.

--
E. Dronkert

Ewoud Dronkert said:

Jenko schreef:

Quoted message said:

I can only remember an obvious mistake from Dekker. It was a day of rare
tactics at RVV in 2002 when he misestimated his own strength and started
the sprint too late to overtake final winner Bortolami. Easily the
biggest disappointment of his career, not winning a Monument.

Yes. Man that was agony! There was another big prize he just missed out
on, Worlds in Portugal. Although one could say he didn't have a
realistic chance, he came mighty close for a non-obvious sprinter.

If I remember correctly, that day he was the first to start the sprint,
not wanting to see a repeat of RVV (which had been the same year, in
2001, not 2002 as I wrote above).

Jenko

Frank Drackman said:

He is a great racer. I hope that he has success in whatever is next for
him. I love the way that he would continue to attack. My favorite memory
is from the 2001 Amstel Gold race when he was in a break with LA. His team
car was telling him something and he just rode away..and won the race. It
was reported that the DS was telling to stop working and wait. That takes a
lot of guts. Imagine the wrath if he came in 2nd!

Dumbass -

He didn't just ride away. His DS was telling him to sit on Armstrong,
but Dekker disobeyed orders and took equal pulls. The two stayed away
and Dekker tooled him in the sprint.

Basically, Dekker didn't want to win the BoogerD way. It was quite a
display of character.

thanks,

K. Gringioni.

debe said:

Ewoud Dronkert said:

Erik Dekker announced today that he retires as a pro rider effective
immediately. Tomorrow's crit in Emmen, Netherlands and the Curaçao
Race later in the year will be his last appearances as a rider. The
Tour stage where he fell heavily was his last official UCI race. In
his own words, he doesn't have the fighting spirit and motivation left
to come back to the top level once again. His fear of falling again
also played a role in the decision. The fall hurt him quite a lot more
than just physically.
He will take take place in the Rabobank team car right after tomorrow,
as preparation for his DS job next year.

Thanks Dekkertje, you've been really great! A special kind of rider
with a special place in my heart.

Leave a message at http://www.erikdekker.nl/gastenboek_formulier.htm
(he reads them all!)

I still remember when he beat Armstrong at the Amstel Gold Race,
just incredible ... He was/is a great rider !

debe

I remember reading about it after that, Dekker was describing how during
the race he thought, "I can lose this". He said that it's when you think
"I can win this" is when you're most likely to lose. Great advice! And
it's kind of funny,because it seems to be true a lot of times. I have an
old Procycling magazine which shows Igor Galdeano on the cover saying,
"Of course I can win the vuelta." ANd that year he crashed and bailed
out! Or Paulo Bettini said "I can win the world championships (in
verona) and of course, he didn't. I think when you say, I can win,
you're more likely to get careless.