Tom Dumoulin discussion thread

[Escarabajo]

I thought the infamous one was the 89 Prologue!!

He tested positive and got off on a technicality. He improved suspiciously on everything during that Tour. He used to have bad days but that Tour he killed everyone.

 

[roundabout]

Quintana was 2nd in the 2013 Tour that had a couple of TT. MTT is not the problems for climbers either. You have to exclude that. And Vanimpe, Pantani and Delgado I don't remember them as good TT's. Maybe just like Sastre they had an excepcional TT of their life during their respective wins. Bur that's it. Being in form help. At least for Quintana.

2013 Tour had a 30k-ish tailwind TT and a TT with 2 second category climbs in it.

In a normal 65k TT (singular or split in 2) he loses a lot more than 2 minutes to Contador.

 

[roundabout]

Remember how Roglic' win in the Vuelta never being in doubt was the only negative point about the Vuelta?

Decrease in ITTage is the counter to mountain trains and closer mountain stages, like slower tennis courts are the counter to changes in racket technology.

Now obviously I'm not saying every GT should have one 25km ITT, but I just think the days of 100+ km of ITT in a GT should be over unless something also drastically changes about mountain stages.

I think the bottom line should be about 40km of ITTage and I also think only the Giro could put in 80km of ITTs and still remain balanced.

Obviously all this would always depend on which riders are the best in the world at any given point.

Or closer mountain stages are a result of decreased ITT kms. Thing with Roglic is that he was probably the best climber in the race, so in that case the route doesn't really matter.

Get a Casero v Heras or Nozal v Heras again and it's different story.

 

[wansteadimp]

With more TT mileage Mick Rogers might have had more than 2 top 10's in GTs as well.

He tested positive and got off on a technicality. He improved suspiciously on everything during that Tour. He used to have bad days but that Tour he killed everyone.

Okay - 89 was where he missed his start time.

 

[Red Rick]

Dumoulin wants to do Tour and Olympics next year. Says he's convinced he can combine the Tour with the Olympic ITT at least

Says the team will want him at the Tour, but once again talks about routes.

Poor Dumoulin. Boy is he in for a nightmare.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Dumoulin wants to do Tour and Olympics next year. Says he's convinced he can combine the Tour with the Olympic ITT at least

Says the team will want him at the Tour, but once again talks about routes.

Poor Dumoulin. Boy is he in for a nightmare.

Hmmm. I don't believe him. The guy isn't exactly stupid, so he should know what to expect, more or less. Not sure why Jumbo would have an issue with him targeting Olympic gold, either. They have a very capable leader in Roglic who was promised Tour leadership for 2020.

Dumoulin can now feign disappointment when the Tour route is unveiled, wait another week(?) for the Giro presentation (what do you know, much more TTing ) and then at some point him or Jumbo can unveil his "changed" plans to the media and target the races he really wants. The Olympics ITT and RR

He has already hinted at wanting to dom for Roglic at the Tour, so...

Giro for GC
Tour - dom and occasional stage hunter
Olympics - main goal

 

[Red Rick]

No Dumoulin hints that he doesn't mind working for Roglic if he can win and he himself can't.

And honestly I doubt pro riders are as deep into rumors as we are. They've usually got better things to do than worry about that way ahead of time.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

No Dumoulin hints that he doesn't mind working for Roglic if he can win and he himself can't

Yeah, with that disclaimer. Of course.

And honestly I doubt pro riders are as deep into rumors as we are. They've usually got better things to do than worry about that way ahead of time.

Jumbo probably has some idea, but it doesn't matter. Anyone with half a brain knows that a Dumoulin-friendly Tour de France route is never going to happen in the foreseeable future.

More importantly, a focus on the Tour GC cannot be combined with the Olympics, IMO. It can't. It's one or the other. Freakish performances like Wiggo's 2012 season excepted, but I don't see Dumo bossing the GC and ITT fields a whole season...

The Tokyo ITT is basically his last meaningful chance at Olympic gold. You don't think he wants that more than anything else? That's why I question the narrative. It's all spin.

 

[del1962]

I think an Olympics in Europe makes a big difference with Tour Olympics combo

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Everyone talking about Dumo friendly tours. The last Tour he did ride was anything but Dumo friendly, and he was still one of the strongest climbers in the race, and better than Roglic and Froome there. After already doing the Giro.

Idk if he gets to that level, and idk how that compares to Roglic level, but underestimate Dumo at your own peril.

 

[Red Rick]

Everyone talking about Dumo friendly tours. The last Tour he did ride was anything but Dumo friendly, and he was still one of the strongest climbers in the race, and better than Roglic and Froome there. After already doing the Giro.

Idk if he gets to that level, and idk how that compares to Roglic level, but underestimate Dumo at your own peril.

Yeah nobody is asking for a Tour like 2012.

Just a Tour that's actually slightly balanced with either 1 long or 2 mid length ITTs.

Instead it's getting worse and worse and worse.

Not to mention I still think he could've won the Tour this year anyway.