Tom Dumoulin announced his retirement this past week and it has brought a wave of reactions. Having not had an official statement over the retirement, Jumbo-Visma's Merijn Zeeman talked about the situation recently in an interview with Wielerflits.
“I wish him all the best," Zeeman said, whilst explaining that he had several conversations with Dumoulin on the matter and that Jumbo always gave him the space to come back to his best - which included in recent times a long pause from pro cycling, and a pre-season camp at Colombia this winter where he tried to rekindle the flame for competition. Despite brief moments of great potential, in the time-trials specifically, the Dutchman couldn't keep up in the mountains which were his big goal.
"We as a team are working together to create an environment in which we can be successful and get the most out of it," he said, which will include the final months of the 31-year old's career in which he'll target the ITT World championships. "He has always been a very valued part of the team. There are beautiful moments, but also disappointments... The last three years we have always been able to have very good and mature conversations with each other. I'm really proud of that," Zeeman added.
“Tom had some really tough moments last year. I always think that we as Jumbo-Visma have always been there for him. And vice versa. We have always been able to work together in a very good, respectful way. As far as we are concerned, we will continue to do so from now on," he concluded.
“It's not a very big surprise. Tom has never reached his level with us from before. That is not easy mentally and causes frustration," teammate Wout van Aert said. The last straw came at the Giro d'Italia where Dumoulin once again didn't manage to perform in the mountains, bringing down the remaining ambitions of returning to his Grand Tour-contending level.
“And every individual is different. In his stead I might be able to get some satisfaction and pleasure by filling in another important role in the team. This is clearly not the case with Tom. Then you should definitely show understanding for his choice. I think it's a brave decision," he concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment