Dutch rider steps up from Continental team to ProTour at just 20 years of age
The Dutch Rabobank team has announced the signing of new national under-23 champion Tom Jelte Slagter to its ProTour team for 2011. The 20-year-old climber from Groeningen, Netherlands has ridden for the Rabobank Continental team in 2010, but has been offered the opportunity to make the leap up to the elite team already.
“I wanted to make this step so I’m very happy,” said Slagter, “it’s fantastic that the team management felt the same way and thinks that it’s possible for me to ride in the Rabobank team.”
“I will learn a lot,” he continued, I’ll have a good race programme that will bring me along quietly. My education will therefore continue, but now at a higher level.”
Before the end of the year though, Slagter still wants to have a successful season with the under-23 team. “I want to do everything and have a good ride at the [under-23] World Championships,” he said.
The Rabobank team has also confirmed that it has extended the contracts of Steven Kruijswijk and Maarten Tjallingii through 2012.
“With Slagter and Kruijswijk we have two riders who fit perfectly within our vision,” said Rabobank’s technical director Erik Breukink, “they are young and talented. Steven has made a very big step and Slagter is still capable of surprising us.
Kruijswijk stepped up from the Continental team to the ProTour team this year and impressed with 18th place in the Giro d’Italia, his first Grand Tour.
“Tjallingii has already shown his strength as one of the mainstays of the team,” Breukink continued. “He’s a real team player that can make the necessary balance in the team.”