Tom Dumoulin calls Amstel Gold Race 'the race of the year': "As Dutch people, we should be a little more proud of the Amstel"
Cycling
Tom Dumoulin can't wait until Sunday, when the Amstel Gold Race is on the program. The 33-year-old former professional rode the Dutch classic six times in his career without a stand-out result. Yet he still enthusiastically calls it 'the race of the year' in an interview for AD.
Dumoulin has stopped cycling for a while, but still knows exactly what it feels like to ride the Amstel Gold Race. "When I was there again last year as an analyst for television, I thought it was so cool. I don't necessarily have to be at the start, but I will. Then I'm that little boy again. I'm going again on Sunday. Let's try to look up Mathieu."
"I never watched cycling, but I did see the Amstel. That's where the seed was planted that made me think at the age of fifteen: 'I'm going to stop playing football, and isn't cycling for me?'" And the same seed was planted when, during a break from cycling in 2021, he returned to the side of the race. "I got really excited again and got the virus again. After that I thought: 'I'm just going to do that Olympic Games.' I started cycling again."
"Those steep hills, the nature, the twists and turns. I still get an itch when I cycle here," continues Dumoulin. He calls the Amstel Gold Race 'a unique competition'. "As Dutch people, we should be a little more proud of the Amstel." It is not without reason that Dumoulin recently submitted an open application for the job of race director for the race after 2025.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
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- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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