Teams & Riders Tom Dumoulin discussion thread

[bill1109]

I wish TomD could have pulled it off. Going to pull an armchair DS here and say that early in the race I had in my mind that they all should have been punishing Froome more when he was not near peak to completely put him out of contention. I felt they let him off the hook a few too many times and anyone wanting to win the race would have in their best interest to put Froome totally out of chance of winning (Ok one mega stage like yesterday but after that still not be close enough). Failure to do that came back to get TomD. Froome took a risk peaking for week 3 and and if they put him away like they had a chance too I think TomD would have won. I know it was said that Tom was trying to peak for week 3 and efforts to doom Froome would be risky but cannot let a guy like Froome ride his race...it isn't as if he and Sky didn't say ahead of time what they were doing. Froomes antic at the end sprinting to the finish is exactly why when he comes to a race weak to punish him while you can.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

A respectable performance by Dumoulin. A couple of minor tactical issues yesterday, but that might be expected based on his shortish history as a top GC contender. With a better route (read : variation) I hope to see a more opportunistic Dumoulin moving forward.

 

[Climber123]

Re:

If all GC favourites start the same GT I'd say:
***** Froome
**** Dumoulin
*** Quintana, Nibali, Bardet
** Uran, Landa, Aru, Zakarin, Pinot, Porte
* Yates, Valverde, Martin, Kelderman, Lopez, Thomas, Roglic

This is accurate

 

[deValtos]

Re: Re:

If all GC favourites start the same GT I'd say:
***** Froome
**** Dumoulin
*** Quintana, Nibali, Bardet
** Uran, Landa, Aru, Zakarin, Pinot, Porte
* Yates, Valverde, Martin, Kelderman, Lopez, Thomas, Roglic

This is accurate

Not convinced Bardet has earned the right to sit with Nibs and Quintana yet.

 

[Stella0596]

Re:

If all GC favourites start the same GT I'd say:
***** Froome
**** Dumoulin
*** Quintana, Nibali, Bardet
** Uran, Landa, Aru, Zakarin, Pinot, Porte
* Yates, Valverde, Martin, Kelderman, Lopez, Thomas, Roglic

You should specify the Yates brother, I think you mean Simon? I'd put Adam at one star as well though.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

If all GC favourites start the same GT I'd say:
***** Froome
**** Dumoulin
*** Quintana, Nibali, Bardet
** Uran, Landa, Aru, Zakarin, Pinot, Porte
* Yates, Valverde, Martin, Kelderman, Lopez, Thomas, Roglic

You should specify the Yates brother, I think you mean Simon? I'd put Adam at one star as well though.

At this point I'd put Simon at **, same as Bardet.

The real question is where to rate Meintjes

 

[Eclipse]

Re: Re:

If all GC favourites start the same GT I'd say:
***** Froome
**** Dumoulin
*** Quintana, Nibali, Bardet
** Uran, Landa, Aru, Zakarin, Pinot, Porte
* Yates, Valverde, Martin, Kelderman, Lopez, Thomas, Roglic

This is accurate

Not convinced Bardet has earned the right to sit with Nibs and Quintana yet.

Bardet has earned nothing.

As a slightly begrudging supporter of Mr Dumoulin (I was raised rather anti time trial...) he showed this week that if he targets a race he's now in a position where he'll be competitive across the entirety and he will absolutely try his hardest even on unsuited terrain to make what needs to happen happen.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Was kinda sad to see him just ignoring Froome after the finish line instead of congratulating him for a great win. I also don't like how he is expecting everyone else to help him, he also had some of those episodes last year - I think he is very emotional and sometimes a bit too much. He comes across as kinda butthurt which is pretty unfortunate.. like many of his fans first when Yates dominated and then Froome winning yesterday and the whole Lopez/Carapaz argument.

He tried, but what can you do - Froome was simply better than him. And there's nothing wrong with that.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Was kinda sad to see him just ignoring Froome after the finish line instead of congratulating him for a great win. I also don't like how he is expecting everyone else to help him, he also had some of those episodes last year - I think he is very emotional and sometimes a bit too much. He comes across as kinda butthurt which is pretty unfortunate.. like many of his fans first when Yates dominated and then Froome winning yesterday and the whole Lopez/Carapaz argument.

He tried, but what can you do - Froome was simply better than him. And there's nothing wrong with that.

There's literally nothing butthurt about anything Dumoulin has said.

 

[Stella0596]

Really everything he does and says is overanalyzed. After the finish he was giving an interview, so he was not 'ignoring' Froome, just directing his attention elsewhere. I've not heard him say anything butthurt this year (in contrast to last year, when he did lose his temper a few times). He always said when things didn't go his way that it was his own fault.

 

[Derry]

I don't get it either. Last year he made a mistake with the comments about Nibali and Quintana, but this year I haven't heard him complaining about anybody.

He only blamed himself for not just time trialing the finale.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Was kinda sad to see him just ignoring Froome after the finish line instead of congratulating him for a great win. I also don't like how he is expecting everyone else to help him, he also had some of those episodes last year - I think he is very emotional and sometimes a bit too much. He comes across as kinda butthurt which is pretty unfortunate.. like many of his fans first when Yates dominated and then Froome winning yesterday and the whole Lopez/Carapaz argument.

He tried, but what can you do - Froome was simply better than him. And there's nothing wrong with that.

There's literally nothing butthurt about anything Dumoulin has said.

Of course not because you guys are pretty big Dumo fans and then everything gets very subjective. I dont know, maybe I just don't like him as a character and over analyses it too much, but he has done nothing this Giro that have made him more likeable personality wise. Him not congratulating Froome just came across as pretty bad mannered and yes, butthurt, when it seemed Froome went out of his way to make it over to him after the stage. But he has been pretty outspoken on Froome/clinic stuff so I guess thats understandable?
I still don't get how he expected everyone else to close the gap to Froome when he obviously had the by far most at stake and it solely was his responsibility to close his main rival down. The 'wheel sucker' agenda gets kinda old in the long run, but thats mainly just on posters of this forum, not necessarily him of course.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

Was kinda sad to see him just ignoring Froome after the finish line instead of congratulating him for a great win. I also don't like how he is expecting everyone else to help him, he also had some of those episodes last year - I think he is very emotional and sometimes a bit too much. He comes across as kinda butthurt which is pretty unfortunate.. like many of his fans first when Yates dominated and then Froome winning yesterday and the whole Lopez/Carapaz argument.

He tried, but what can you do - Froome was simply better than him. And there's nothing wrong with that.

There's literally nothing butthurt about anything Dumoulin has said.

Of course not because you guys are pretty big Dumo fans and then everything gets very subjective. I dont know, maybe I just don't like him as a character and over analyses it too much, but he has done nothing this Giro that have made him more likeable personality wise. Him not congratulating Froome just came across as pretty bad mannered and yes, butthurt, when it seemed Froome went out of his way to make it over to him after the stage. But he has been pretty outspoken on Froome/clinic stuff so I guess thats understandable?
I still don't get how he expected everyone else to close the gap to Froome when he obviously had the by far most at stake and it solely was his responsibility to close his main rival down. The 'wheel sucker' agenda gets kinda old in the long run, but thats mainly just on posters of this forum, not necessarily him of course.

He never said he expected them to close the gap. He just factually stated they didn't do much or nothing. He also stated he understands and that that's racing, both after the stage to Sappada and yesterday.

 

[Valv.Piti]

I heard a bit of a different version on the Cycling Podcast where it seemed he was irritated, but I guess thats pretty understandable in the heat of the moment and all.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I kinda secretly love it when my faves are as petty as I am, so I must admit I had a bit of a laugh when I saw Dumoulin ignoring Froome

 

[May0maniac]

Re:

I kinda secretly love it when my faves are as petty as I am, so I must admit I had a bit of a laugh when I saw Dumoulin ignoring Froome

You could shake Froomes hand and say that your opinion hasn't changed at all, you don't have to be all nice and friendly with the Veltolin wizard.
That said, I've seen University professors being even worse and even refusing to greet eachother.

 

[JosephK]

Re:

Was kinda sad to see him just ignoring Froome after the finish line instead of congratulating him for a great win. I also don't like how he is expecting everyone else to help him, he also had some of those episodes last year - I think he is very emotional and sometimes a bit too much. He comes across as kinda butthurt which is pretty unfortunate.. like many of his fans first when Yates dominated and then Froome winning yesterday and the whole Lopez/Carapaz argument.

He tried, but what can you do - Froome was simply better than him. And there's nothing wrong with that.

I have become a TD fan, and I didn't see the post-race events today, but if Tom begrudged a handshake to Froome, I agree that's not good and doesn't reflect well on him. Also, Tom was visibly bickering with the chasing bunch on Simon Yates's runaway stage, and that didn't help matters. And yes, it looks like TD may have something of a temper that makes itself known in the heat of the moment and immediately after hard/unrewarding stages. I accept those frailties, however, because the strengths of his character outweigh the deficits (my opinion only, of course), and, given time to think things over, he tends to be gracious and sporting. I thought his performance in this year's Giro was courageous -- just one fan's perspective.

 

[Blanco]

Re: Re:

If all GC favourites start the same GT I'd say:
***** Froome
**** Dumoulin
*** Quintana, Nibali, Bardet
** Uran, Landa, Aru, Zakarin, Pinot, Porte
* Yates, Valverde, Martin, Kelderman, Lopez, Thomas, Roglic

This is accurate

Accurate my ass!
Dumoulin is certainly not level above Quintana and Nibali, not sure even if he's on the same level with them.
And what the hell Valverde, with 8 GT podiums, has to do with Roglic, Kelderman and Thomas?!!! In that group you don't have one single GT podium!

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

If all GC favourites start the same GT I'd say:
***** Froome
**** Dumoulin
*** Quintana, Nibali, Bardet
** Uran, Landa, Aru, Zakarin, Pinot, Porte
* Yates, Valverde, Martin, Kelderman, Lopez, Thomas, Roglic

This is accurate

Accurate my ***!
Dumoulin is certainly not level above Quintana and Nibali, not sure even if he's on the same level with them.
And what the hell Valverde, with 8 GT podiums, has to do with Roglic, Kelderman and Thomas?!!! In that group you don't have one single GT podium!

That list is very much based on the fact that it's 2018

 

[Climber123]

Re: Re:

If all GC favourites start the same GT I'd say:
***** Froome
**** Dumoulin
*** Quintana, Nibali, Bardet
** Uran, Landa, Aru, Zakarin, Pinot, Porte
* Yates, Valverde, Martin, Kelderman, Lopez, Thomas, Roglic

This is accurate

Accurate my ***!
Dumoulin is certainly not level above Quintana and Nibali, not sure even if he's on the same level with them.
And what the hell Valverde, with 8 GT podiums, has to do with Roglic, Kelderman and Thomas?!!! In that group you don't have one single GT podium!

Based on recent form I would say it is accurate. When last did Valverde actually fight for a win in a GT? Maybe one can class him with Uran, Landa et al. and maybe Nibali can level with Dumoulin. Dumoulin is a more complete GT rider than Quintana without a doubt.

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

If all GC favourites start the same GT I'd say:
***** Froome
**** Dumoulin
*** Quintana, Nibali, Bardet
** Uran, Landa, Aru, Zakarin, Pinot, Porte
* Yates, Valverde, Martin, Kelderman, Lopez, Thomas, Roglic

This is accurate

Accurate my ***!
Dumoulin is certainly not level above Quintana and Nibali, not sure even if he's on the same level with them.
And what the hell Valverde, with 8 GT podiums, has to do with Roglic, Kelderman and Thomas?!!! In that group you don't have one single GT podium!

Based on recent form I would say it is accurate. When last did Valverde actually fight for a win in a GT? Maybe one can class him with Uran, Landa et al. and maybe Nibali can level with Dumoulin. Dumoulin is a more complete GT rider than Quintana without a doubt.

Last time he rode one that wasn't the third GT in a season... And then he had to babysit his weak and ridiculous "captain".

 

[Climber123]

Re:

I kinda secretly love it when my faves are as petty as I am, so I must admit I had a bit of a laugh when I saw Dumoulin ignoring Froome

I love Dumo, great GT rider with a human side. He is going to gather many fans i predict.

 

[Netserk]

Froome is the top dawg, no doubt. Dumoulin, Quintana, and Nibali are in the level after. Lots of riders in the level below them, but with Bardet, Landa, and Porte first.

 

[lartiste]

Man among small kids. He is competing with kids 13, 15kg lighter than he is. For me he is clear warior of the Giro. Having the same volume of ITT kilometer as Big Mig he would become new Big Mig in respect of results too.

 

[Blanco]

Re: Re:

If all GC favourites start the same GT I'd say:
***** Froome
**** Dumoulin
*** Quintana, Nibali, Bardet
** Uran, Landa, Aru, Zakarin, Pinot, Porte
* Yates, Valverde, Martin, Kelderman, Lopez, Thomas, Roglic

This is accurate

Accurate my ***!
Dumoulin is certainly not level above Quintana and Nibali, not sure even if he's on the same level with them.
And what the hell Valverde, with 8 GT podiums, has to do with Roglic, Kelderman and Thomas?!!! In that group you don't have one single GT podium!

Based on recent form I would say it is accurate. When last did Valverde actually fight for a win in a GT? Maybe one can class him with Uran, Landa et al. and maybe Nibali can level with Dumoulin. Dumoulin is a more complete GT rider than Quintana without a doubt.

And when did Roglic, Thomas and Kelderman fight for the win ever? Or do they have better form than Valverde this year
Dumoulin is more complete, but not better.