“I just sat down and did it for everyone to hear” - Tom Dumoulin on making his debut as a commentator

After retiring from professional cycling in 2022 at the age of just 31 years old, Tom Dumoulin entered the world of punditry, appearing on the Dutch channel NOS as an analyst. However, he has now progressed to the role of commentator, as he covered La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday.

The midweek Belgian Classic was a tough first race for the Dutchman though, as although he would have probably expected a rather straightforward race for his first time in the commentary booth, the cold and wet weather conditions made it a far more interesting race for the spectator.

Speaking in an interview with WielerFlits, the Dutchman talked about what it was like to view the race from behind the microphone, as he said “I had prepared for a standard traditional Flèche Wallonne. But that was certainly not the case this edition. I really sympathised. With such a course, you can follow the race much better. At that moment it is also my job to bring the match to the living room. You can’t relax for a moment”.

On how he thought his first outing as a commentator went, Dumoulin went on to say “I prefer to leave that judgement to the listeners and viewers. Of course I'm not going to do that myself. But I have to say that I really enjoyed doing it”.

On how he prepared in the build-up to the race, he explained the process that he went through, as he said “I didn’t do a test broadcast. I arrived at the office an hour and a half before the broadcast started. Together with lead commentator Joris van den Berg we went through and discussed everything. He explained to me how it works a bit. Tips and tricks given, what I should pay attention to, what his role is, what my role is. And then I just sat down and did it for everyone to hear”.

It was not without difficulty for Dumoulin though, as he admitted to having some troubles with his voice during the broadcast, stating that “I had a lot of trouble with my voice, which was clearly noticeable. I got through it”. The former Jumbo-Visma rider is clearly keen to return to the commentary booth though, as he will be back commentating for NOS at the Critérium du Dauphiné in June.