"With this team it's no longer about a top ten or top five, it is about winning all three grand tours" - Sam Oomen and Jumbo-Visma will separate their ways after this season

It was reported previously that Sam Oomen will leave Jumbo-Visma at the end of the season and is about to sign a contract with Lidl-Trek. The Dutch climber could not yet confirm the switch on Saturday in De Avondetappe, but did say something about his future.

"It does indeed seem that the paths are separating. I think that in my best form I am still able to ride top ten in a Grand Tour or have an outlier in those kinds of races. But with this team it's no longer about a top ten or top five result, it is about winning all three grand tours. If you compare it to playing football, I want to play a few more minutes and score a nice goal," explains Oomen.

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"I also ended up with perhaps the best team in the world, where I am honestly an average rider," says Oomen. "But at least I didn't back down. If you go by how many watts I pedal, my training and competitions, then I'm really not a lesser rider. However, there are so many more things that determine whether you can ride top ten in a grand tour."

With his current team, Oomen does not see the freedom to ride for his own result in a three-week stage race. "Racing for Jumbo-Visma has many nice sides. I am learning a lot and winning the Giro d'Italia with Primoz Roglic and earlier also the Vuelta a España is so beautiful to experience. But to have results yourself, you really have to come from an extremely good background to enforce that," Oomen is realistic.

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