page_title: Rob Ruijgh
section_title: Professional career
hierarchical_section_title: Rob Ruijgh / Career / Professional career
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Reportage photographique réalisé le dimanche 8 juin à l'occasion de l'arrivée du Mémorial Philippe Van Coningsloo 2014 à Bonheiden, Belgique. Nederlands: Aankomst, zondag 8 juni 2014, Mémorial Philippe Van Coningsloo 2014, Bonheiden, België.
context_page_description: Rob Ruijgh is a Dutch former professional racing cyclist.
context_section_description: After the internship in mid-2009, he became a professional with the Vacansoleil team in 2010, signing a contract until the end of 2011. He made his debut in the Tour of Qatar. After the Dutch National Road Race Championships in Beek, he broke his hand while training behind a scooter. The rest of the year he finished in the top 10 five times with a 3rd place in Binche–Tournai–Binche.
  In 2011, Ruijgh had a great year; he helped team-mate Pim Ligthart win the Dutch National Road Race Championships in Ootmarsum, finishing 6th himself. He also had a strong performance in the Critérium du Dauphiné, ending 14th in the general classification. After these results Ruijgh made his debut in the Tour de France and made it to Paris. He made an excellent impression as the best Dutch cyclist, finishing 21st in the general classification – 33 minutes, 4 seconds behind winner Cadel Evans – and 5th in the young riders classification. During the Tour de France, he extended his contract with Vacansoleil–DCM until the end of the 2013 season.
  In 2012 he missed the Tour de France because of a knee injury and also had to quit the Vuelta a España; tests diagnosed a parasite in his stomach. 2013 also did not start well for Ruijgh as during his favoured home race, the Amstel Gold Race, he fell and suffered a concussion. Recovery from the crash took longer than expected because of a fever after Liège–Bastogne–Liège. By the end of April his health and condition were back to normal and in May Ruijgh finished 54th overall at the Giro d'Italia.
  Ruijgh joined Vastgoedservice–Golden Palace for the 2014 season, after Vacansoleil–DCM folded at the end of the 2013 season.
caption: Ruijgh (centre) won the Memorial Van Coningsloo in 2014. He is joined on the podium by Nicolas Vereecken (2nd) and Oliver Naesen (3rd).
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