"I didn't feel protected" - Tom Dumoulin lashes out against Visma documentary showcasing 2020 Tour de France defeat

Tom Dumoulin retired from pro cycling at age 31, a premature departure from the sport where he achieved a lot. A Giro d'Italia win, a World title, a Tour de France podium and several high-level victories constituted one of the most impressive careers in modern cycling. However, the Dutch rider had a few difficult last years to his career, and ended up losing passion over what he was doing, feeling disconnected to how he was treated in his final years with Team Visma | Lease a Bikee.

"Now I can look back on that difficult period with gratitude because it brought me a lot, too," he said in words to De Pacer. "I wasn't happy at all for a few years. I wanted to be a rider somewhere and wasn't ready to stop yet, but my whole body was struggling. I had some serious injuries, which meant I was constantly struggling. I felt bad because I was also feeling the pressure at Jumbo-Visma. I trained and raced poorly, doing everything I could to get back on track".

Until 2018, Dumoulin's evolution in the sport was notable and he was one of the very best in the world. That year, with the time trial rainbow jersey on his shoulders, he finished second at both Giro d'Italia and Tour de France. In 2019 he crashed at the Giro d'Italia, ending his race and his season ultimately as he required surgery before the Tour de France. In 2020 he was racing in a new environment, with Visma, but it never clicked with the Dutch team. In 2020 the team worked towards the overall win of Primoz Roglic, with Dumoulin a key domestique, but the potential title was lost on the penultimate day

"I haven't seen that 2020 Tour de France documentary yet. I don't feel like watching it again at a time when I was going through a really difficult time. I didn't feel protected by my team," he admits. And he is open on how he is not in agreement with what the team did at the time, showcasing the moments between the riders in such a public. "As far as I'm concerned, that documentary should never have been released in the Netherlands like that."

Ultimately it can be argued that it was Dumoulin's time with Visma that ultimately brought his career to a close, although it can't solely be blamed in the Dutch team. However Dumoulin doesn't put it lightly: "I almost felt like a product, not a human being with feelings".

He laments this, with psychological issues that weren't tackled succcessfully from the 2020 to 2022 seasons. He ultimately announced his retirement right after the 2022 Clásica San Sebastian. At this point his performances were already much below what he had previously achieved. "With today's awareness, my career would have lasted longer. At the same time, however, I'm proud to look back on my career. I don't regret any of the choices I've made: I have no regrets and I don't blame anyone for anything".

"I think the best moments were my victories. At a certain point, I was at a crossroads. I realized I wasn't living up to expectations and had to step back as a rider. I was asked if I wanted to race like Robert Gesink and Tony Martin did in the final years of their careers (in domestique and road captain roles, ed.), when they became domestiques for the leaders. But I never saw that as an option for me."