Tom Dumoulin will go down as one of the most presitigious and loved riders of the past generation, a memory that is now in the past as the Dutchman hung up his wheels. Talking about his golden era, former manager Aike Visbeek talks about how he could've won the Tour de France in 2018 if he had made a significant decision.
“Tom should never have ridden the Giro in 2018, because then we would have won the Tour," Aike Visbeek - current team manager of Intermarché-Circus-Wanty - told De Grote Plaat. In 2018 he was in charge of the leadership at Team DSM, and he reveals details about the decisions that have been taken that year. "I was really against it, but he finally rode.
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"I remember the discussion well. Initially, the focus was entirely on the Tour. I don't know if there were commercial interests, but that must have played a role. Rudi Kemna said it was easier to win the Giro, but we had won it before," he details.
Dumoulin had won the 2017 Giro d'Italia, and in 2018 he was a prime contender for the Tour de France. He rode the Giro d'Italia nonetheless, racing to second place as Chris Froome blasted through the competition in the final week. Dumoulin had been at his best level once again but found a rival he could not match. A great performance, but one that surely cost him a few watts when it came to then prepare for the Tour de France with the same focus.
“If you win the Tour as a team, you have ten years of certainty. Sponsors are then lined up. The Giro chapter was closed for me. I personally also think that those two Grand Tours ultimately killed Tom. He was the best tour rider in the world in 2017 and 2018, but then to ride two Grand Tours at that level. That's extreme, especially for someone like Tom, with what he has to do for it. That has cost him a lot of reserves. It is an inhumanly difficult task," he believes.
A harsh statement, but one that reflects reality quite well as from that Tour onwards he only ever completed one more Grand Tour. In 2019 he ended his season in June and moved away to Jumbo-Visma where he found himself in a domestique role. He finished inside the Top10 whilst assisting Primoz Roglic at the Tour de France, however his capacity in the Grand Tours was never the same, and his climbing prowess that had earned him a Grand Tour victory was never again at the same level.
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“Whether he would still have ridden if he had been in our team? No, I find that difficult to say. At Jumbo-Visma there were also sufficient reasons and opportunities to continue. I also have the impression that they have thought along with him in everything," he says.
Visbeek himself moved away from Sunweb, who years later saw even more of it's leaders leave. Currently he leads Intermarché as the Belgian team soars to the top of the UCI rankings. Dumoulin had motivation issues and retired last season, not having been able to return to the glory that has seen him achieve much success including a time-trial World title.
“I once told Tom that I don't know if I would like to go on altitude training with all the cannons of Jumbo-Visma. Tom might have been able to draw his own plan a bit more, but there was also a personal process with him," Visbeek concluded.
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