Welcome to the GTCC... @tom_dumoulin! Our first guest of season four is a big one. Tom told @tomfordyce and @GeraintThomas86 about deciding to retire at 31, solo travelling around Asia, and what it's like to race against G 👀 Out now in your podcast app 🎙️
“I just sat down and did it for everyone to hear” - Tom Dumoulin on making his debut as a commentator
CyclingSaturday, 20 April 2024 at 04:00
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.
Read also
Just in
Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter today!
Nov 05, 13:04
0
Popular news
Latest comments
- Yes! Clear up these gray areas before lives are lost or damaged!velodan14-11-2024
- Surely the question should be what else are they using as they smash climbing records? Records that have stood since the EPO era.DJ14-11-2024
- Why? He is past his "sell by "date. Just like Froome.
ScottG14-11-2024 - Without Wout or mvdp cyclocross is a sleeperScottG14-11-2024
- Tom has a bit of an overblown image of himself. Contrast him to Pog- night and day.ScottG14-11-2024
- The other commenters are exactly right - different eras. It does help that bikes now have lower gears without sacrificing higher ones. Merckx rode up mountain passes with a 5 speed cluster- and I doubt he had anything less than a 42x24. See how exhausted you'd be going up Mont Ventoux with that, lol.ScottG14-11-2024
- Times have changed, Bart Wellens, and it's only natural and makes total sense that riders like Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel's primary focus is on their road careers. It has absolutely nothing to do with doing a 'disservice' to the UCI.
santiagobenites14-11-2024 - Bad for us, good for them, indifferent for newcomers. When a bank offers you 50 to open an account is that good or bad? Good for you, bad for existing clients paying for it who received nothing when they joined, indifferent for future new clients who might get 100.Mistermaumau14-11-2024
- Why don’t you go copy-paste from a reliable scientific site instead of accepting the first info Google provides which is by no means scientific. Like I said before differently, EVERYTHING is poisonous if you replace the Oxygen you need with it. Breathing pure Oxygen will kill most of us in almost every situation (hospital deliver pure oxygen but dilute with air before inhalation so just enrich) fighter pilots and astronauts get pure oxygen because there is almost none in the atmosphere but as the pressure is far lower the concentration in the lungs remains similar to the N78/O21 known as air). nitrogen/oxygen instead of 80/20 (basically air) will likely kill you too. Nitrogen is completely neutral and unabsorbed yet you die from 100% so is it poisonous, no. It’s the wrong DOSE that is poisoning!Mistermaumau14-11-2024
- Well not really news after watching netflix doc . You did not need to be a rocket scientist to notice the body language and Pidcock giving the finger on the Alpe Huez stage . Thomas was non to pleased either as he lost a helper for the day. However fab win and will be interesting to see what happens over the off seasonpaultryan200214-11-2024