"I wasn’t the boss of my own career anymore": Tom Dumoulin opens up on retiring at 31 years old

Tom Dumoulin made history in 2017, becoming the first Dutch to conquer the Giro d'Italia. An excellent climber and time trialist, he had all the skills to keep adding Grand Tours to his palmarès. However, after 22 professional wins and a Tour de France podium in 2018, the Butterfly of Maastricht unexpectedly announced his retirement at the end of the 2022 season at the age of 31.

In a recent interview to El Tiempo, Dumoulin opened up on the reasons that led him to take that decision, emphasizing that he no longer felt like the master of his own career. “In the last years of my career I struggled with pressure, travel, and structure. I had no control over my own career. My team, my sponsors, the media, the fans... everyone wanted something from me, but nobody asked: “Tom, what do you want?””

The Dutch legend revealed that the decision to retire was extremely difficult for him to take, and he delayed it until he realised it just had to happen. “I didn’t want to make this decision, I tried to avoid it for two years, but I felt out of control and that I was no longer living my dream. I wasn’t the boss of my own career anymore.”

He added that the pressure of high-level competition - training demands, media attention, and expectations from staff - drained him both physically and mentally. “At the top level, racing wheel to wheel with the best in the Giro, Tour, and Vuelta, the pressure is immense. I had no choice but to step away.”

Reflecting on today’s sport, Dumoulin highlighted the technological and organizational advances: “Cycling has changed a lot. Teams are more structured, objectives are clearer, and the level is incredible. Riders like Remco Evenepoel, Jonas Vingegaard, and Tadej Pogacar climb mountains at incredible speeds.”

However, he cautioned that modern cycling risks losing freedom and autonomy, as teams are becoming increasingly rigid with their methods. “It’s becoming a sport where riders follow orders, and individual needs, dreams, and character can be overlooked. Finding the balance between structure and personal freedom is difficult, but those who do, like Evenepoel and Pogacar, can optimize their performance and achieve outstanding results.”

For many people, Tadej Pogacar is currently unbeatable, especially in Grand Tours. Dumoulin admits he shares that opinion, arguing it makes the races a bit boring, agreeing with another former rider. "At the moment, yes. I adore Pogacar; he’s an amazing cyclist, maybe the best in history. It’s incredible to see how he handles the bike. But honestly, some races are boring. With 18 kilometers to go, you see a rider alone, and there’s no tension until the finish. I hope more riders come close to him."

Pogacar has constantly been compared to the great Eddy Merckx. For Dumoulin, it is hard to make such a comparison considering both riders competed in very different eras. “Each generation is different. I didn’t see Eddy Merckx race, but what Pogacar is doing is incredible. He could be the best of all time, though it’s hard to say definitively.”

However, when asked if he could have beaten Pogacar at his best, Dumoulin had a clear answer. “Never. No, no, no. He’s just too good for me.”

Reflecting on the 2017 Giro d’Italia, which he won ahead of Nairo Quintana, Dumoulin recalled what arguably was the hardest stage for him. “I remember being in the leader’s jersey in the final week. Nairo had a good day, I had a bad one. I lost the jersey on the Piancavallo stage. There were still mountain stages and the time trial left, but I thought that day it would be difficult to beat him.”

The main highlight of that Giro edition was undoubtedly the poop accident Dumoulin suffered. During stage 16, Dumoulin began suffering from severe gastrointestinal distress and had to urgently evacuate with around 30km to go. That nature stop made him lose more than 2 minutes over his main rivals Quintana and Nibali, although he managed to eventually win the GC.

When asked whether people still remind him about the incident, the answer is obviously yes. “Yes, they still remind me of that. I laughed about it later, but it was tough. I had eaten too much breakfast, and my digestive system made it clear I had to stop. Of course, it cost me time. However, I stayed determined, showed a fighting spirit, and didn’t lose the pink jersey that day. It showed I was ready to fight for the title all the way to Milan.”

Dumoulin has great memories of Colombia, a country he has visited several times and where he has even trained. “I trained on their roads and couldn’t believe how popular cycling is there, especially on weekends with amateur riders. Colombia used to have some of the best cyclists in the world by that time, like Rigoberto Urán and Nairo Quintana.”

Finally, Dumoulin reflected on the broader lessons from sport. “Sports have played an important role in my life. They taught me to be strong physically and mentally, disciplined, and a fighter. Look at Egan Bernal: he fought back from setbacks and shows not only athletic talent but also mental strength. That’s the message I want to share.”