"He failed to be a selfish b*stard" - Former coach on Dumoulin's demise

Adriaan Helmantel, the man in charge of finding the future stars of Dutch cycling, has been speaking about his former protege Tom Dumoulin following his recent retirement. "He has always been a fascinating person to work with. He set the bar very high himself and made the rest do the same.”

Full of praise for Dumoulin, Helmantel recounted how the 2017 Giro d'Italia winner was one of the most natural talents he'd ever worked with. "He could complain all week and not perform, but if there was a race on the weekend he would fly," Helmantel said. "With Dumoulin, I immediately realized that he was an exceptional talent, although I never thought he would win a Grand Tour or a World Championship."

Explaining why he never thought Dumoulin would win a Grand Tour or a World Championship despite his obvious talents, Helmantel said "He had a lot of responsibility and solidarity, even with his colleagues and rivals. That could have gotten in the way of him. He failed to be a selfish bastard.”

One of Dumoulin's main reasons for his early retirement was an ongoing struggle with his mental health. According to Helmantel, this could've been because of the pressures he put on himself with his incredibly high standards. "He has always been a fascinating person to work with. He set the bar very high himself and made the rest do the same.”