On tomorrow's GCN Giro Classics, disaster for Dumoulin during Stage 16 of the 2017 Tour? Watch tomorrow on the #gcnapp to find out! . #cycling #roadcycling #roadbike #bicycle #bike #gcn #racing #race #pro #proracing #cyclist #giro #giroditalia #grandtour
"I just rode Vincenzo Nibali right out of the wheel" - Tom Dumoulin recalls epic Giro d'Italia stage win atop Oropa in 2017
CyclingThursday, 02 May 2024 at 15:30
A winner of four Giro d'Italia stages during his career and the Maglia Rosa in 2017, the now-retired Tom Dumoulin has great love affair with the opening Grand Tour of the season.
Reflecting on his relationship with the premier Italian stage race, Dumoulin took a trip down memory lane via the In Het Wiel podcast. "I really liked my victory on Oropa. There I felt so much power I my legs," Dumoulin recalls of his stage 14 triumph that powered the Dutchman towards overall victory in 2017. "Nibali was in my wheel. Suddenly I couldn't see him anymore. I just rode him right out of the wheel. He gave an interview afterwards, like 'this is impossible, this big Dutch heavy guy'. He was really impressed. I fought the many battles with Nibali, but I thought that was a very nice compliment."
Dumoulin was also a runner-up at the Tour de France during his career and although the Tour is widely considered the most prestigious race in cycling, the Giro was always the more special in the mind of the Dutchman. "The French themselves do think it's cool that their country is on the map. But I see them enjoying it less, being less proud of cycling itself," he explains. "You do have that very much in Italy: love and passion for the race. That comes out very much in the Giro. Even as a foreign rider, that's fantastic. I was encouraged as hard as Nibali in 2017. You'll never see that in France."
Looking ahead to the upcoming edition however, one name stands out more than any other on the startlist, that of Tadej Pogacar. Widely expected to romp towards a dominant victory, Dumoulin saw first-hand early signs of the Slovenian's greatness back in 2020 on the infamous individual time-trial of the Tour de France that saw Pogacar snatch the Maillot Jaune from his compatriot and Dumoulin's teammate, Primoz Roglic on stage 20.
"I thought: nobody is going to be faster, there's no way. I rode my best values ever," Dumoulin recalls. "Pogacar was exactly as fast at that first measuring point. He didn't look like a cyclist at all. He still had a bit of baby fat and was not really sitting nicely on his bike. That he was as fast on the first section was a moment when I thought, 'wow'. It really shocked me."
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- tom is still only 25. yeah, some years have been squandered, but perhaps there’s time to right the ship. the problem though is figuring out exactly what he should be targeting. GC? while pog, jonas and remco are all in their prime? probably not. classics? with another 5+ years of mathieu, wout, pog, remco, etc? so, stages? yeah, IF he can embrace that role, but it still seems like he doesnt see that as lofty enough.OCexile05-12-2024
- Christian Vande Velde - the pool of optimism!
leedorney05-12-2024 - Hope he gets his chance, redemption for all the years of false accusationsMistermaumau04-12-2024
- There's no guarantees in life ! Anything can happen in or out of a bike race to change your fortunes if you're basing your whole year on the TdF. Sure you can reduce the odds in your favor but you only live once...go for it!frieders304-12-2024
- If racing the Giro is a big risk , all preparatory races will fall under the same category since no race is risk free. As seen from Remco even Training is not risk free. Vandevelde sometimes talks crapabstractengineer04-12-2024
- No Chris, you’re getting old without trying and unsuccessfully trying to be your young self again.Mistermaumau04-12-2024
- I once worked for an employer that was so good at putting people off staying we started a social group for ex-employees which grew and grew until it was larger than the workforce. 20 years on we still meet up to laugh about things back then. I see an opportunity here ;-)Mistermaumau04-12-2024
- That’s one reason I never told mine about the ones I could avoid discussing ;-)Mistermaumau04-12-2024
- It’s something to take into consideration, the Giro is one of the more dangerous events. But, there’s also the fact that one day TP will have another crash. It used to be so much easier to decide what to race and what not :-)Mistermaumau04-12-2024
- Courageous and wise and good for you but someone else will, that’s the nature of capitalism, and then someone will accept less than the minimum and then someone will do it as an internship an then someone will do it voluntarily for the chance and after we’ll be back toa form of emotional slavery ;-)Mistermaumau04-12-2024