Teams & Riders Tom Dumoulin discussion thread

[lenric]

Next year TD for the Tour and Wilco for the Giro.

 

[portugal11]

OMG he looks dead... recovery will be a big factor tomorrow.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

He's still the most aero guy of all the GC contendors and the most powerful.

He can do it. I'm amazed but he really can. Before the Giro I thought maybe top 5 on a really good form. Now he can win.

***, without poopgate he would've won already. I really hope he does it tomorrow but I'm wary of Nibali and Pinot. Quintana is out of it for me.

 

[Arredondo]

He can win. She should win ...... in a one weak race like Paris-Nice when everyone is relatively fresh.

Now nothing is certain. Recovery will be the key tomorrow. If he has a good day tomorrow, we will have a first Dutch Giro d'Italia winner!

 

[the_cutter]

Re:

He's still the most aero guy of all the GC contendors and the most powerful.

He can do it. I'm amazed but he really can. Before the Giro I thought maybe top 5 on a really good form. Now he can win.

****, without poopgate he would've won already. I really hope he does it tomorrow but I'm wary of Nibali and Pinot. Quintana is out of it for me.

He has shown great resiliency and testicular fortitude. I'd seen nothing that suggest that he'll let the occasion get to him and expect him to smash and win it tomorrow.

 

[SafeBet]

Amazing three weeks. I'm really impressed by his consistency and resiliency. Chapeau.

 

[portugal11]

I'm so nervous!!! Tom, it's your time to shine!!!

 

[SeriousSam]

Defied expectations that he'd crumble into dust, but his weakening relative to Nibali, Quintana, Pinot, Zakarin, Pozzo was still notable and a dangerous weakness.

 

[lenric]

Re:

Defied expectations that he'd crumble into dust, but his weakening relative to Nibali, Quintana, Pinot, Zakarin, Pozzo was still notable and a dangerous weakness.

Don't know how much his weakening was due to him having to ride the poopgate climb all alone. Clearly not all of it, but obviously it has something to do with it.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Defied expectations that he'd crumble into dust, but his weakening relative to Nibali, Quintana, Pinot, Zakarin, Pozzo was still notable and a dangerous weakness.

But probably not enough to lose the race. The stomach issue came at a bad time but what was worse was losing time two days ago on the descent. If he wins he's done it the hard way and will learn a lot from the race.

 

[Tonton]

Congrats on your Giro win Tom .

 

[spalco]

Re: Re:

Defied expectations that he'd crumble into dust, but his weakening relative to Nibali, Quintana, Pinot, Zakarin, Pozzo was still notable and a dangerous weakness.

Don't know how much his weakening was due to him having to ride the poopgate climb all alone. Clearly not all of it, but obviously it has something to do with it.

Everybody has problems over the course of a 3 week race though, that's normal; somebody falls in a pileup or gets a cold or has to chase after an echelon or a flat tire at an inconvenient time. So it's not really an excuse imo. That's just where Dumoulin is right now.

 

[perico]

Re: Re:

Apparently, Dumoulin is set to extend his contract until 2021.

RIP good team dream

https://www.telesport.nl/artikel/100362/wielersport/dumoulin-blijft-sunweb-trouw

I like the fact that he's sticking with a smaller team that have helped develop him. Hopefully they'll buy in some talent (I can't read the article to see what they say about that). Also, Laurens Ten Dam has been unexpectedly bad in this Giro, I'd expect him to be a lot better normally.

The article says they're going to try and transition from a Sprinter team to a GC team around Dumoulin. So that should make a difference. Much of the current team is still a remnant of the teams build around Kittel and Degenkolb.

Can they convince Barguil to work for him at the tour next year?

 

[Gloin22]

Re: Re:

Apparently, Dumoulin is set to extend his contract until 2021.

RIP good team dream

https://www.telesport.nl/artikel/100362/wielersport/dumoulin-blijft-sunweb-trouw

I like the fact that he's sticking with a smaller team that have helped develop him. Hopefully they'll buy in some talent (I can't read the article to see what they say about that). Also, Laurens Ten Dam has been unexpectedly bad in this Giro, I'd expect him to be a lot better normally.

The article says they're going to try and transition from a Sprinter team to a GC team around Dumoulin. So that should make a difference. Much of the current team is still a remnant of the teams build around Kittel and Degenkolb.

Can they convince Barguil to work for him at the tour next year?

Seeing Pinot's success, Barguil could do Giro next year possible

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Interview:

"I'm really grateful to Yates, Jungels and Mollema for helping me in the final part".

Q: Why did they help you?

"Because they like me more than Nibali and Quintana"
:lol:

 

[movingtarget]

Interview:

"I'm really grateful to Yates, Jungels and Mollema for helping me in the final part".

Q: Why did they help you?

"Because they like me more than Nibali and Quintana"
:lol:

Somehow i can't see him saying sorry for this one ! Is it going to be revenge of Crapgate or is there going to be another twist in this race ?

 

[Jagartrott]

He has both been unlucky (his toilet break) and quite lucky (other teams and riders working with him).
I'm curious what he'll do tomorrow.

 

[Andro]

BM Tom takes the Giro! Congrats.

It really is a new era of cycling. The new mentality of people riding for 5th place instead of gambling to get higher placings means that the top contenders will often find people to drag them when they get dropped. The 5th-10th place finishers hold the keys to deciding who wins GT's today, and Tom was the best at making friends with them and getting them to be his helpers. I guess you just have to applaud him for that, he played the game the best.

 

[Pirazziattacks]

When you consider that this is pretty much his first serious (or at least deliberate) attempt at GC, this guy could be a monster in a couple of years. Get him a decent train and he should be a contender in any GT with enough TT km for sure.

Building a strong climbing Dutch team is always going to be difficult.

Southern european countries are littered with "guys that can climb". Northern countries aren't. And there is a cultural thing as well. A Dutch guy that can climb will not "sacrifice" his career as a helper. The average Spanish rider will be more humble and will be fine riding as a sherpa his whole career for a decent pay check . So how do you build a GC team without sacrificing the team culture?

Lotto NL had at one stage Mollema, Gesink, Kelderman, Kruijswijk and Ten Dam. That could be an epic train. But in practice that were 4 leaders and a loner. Sky can literally buy allegiance. It's an embarrassment of riches to have monument winners and GC podium riders as robot helpers. Sunweb can't afford to do that.

I think Kelderman could settle in a July helper role for the foreseeable future if he gets a GC chance at Giro or Vuelta as well. And Oomen will happily ride as helper the next 2 to 3 years. Barguil won't. Maybe next year in the tour as a one-time-only deal, but he'll be gone after that.

Does Sunweb bring in 2 or 3 Spanish guys? the Movistar types. Good climbers but nothing spectacular. Will that work within the team?

And maybe Dumoulin will wake some interest from sponsors, and Sunweb can generate a bigger budget. He's a very marketable guy.

You'd think there should always be a couple of fringe Sky riders they could target.

 

[dfromdub]

Interview:

"I'm really grateful to Yates, Jungels and Mollema for helping me in the final part".

Q: Why did they help you?

"Because they like me more than Nibali and Quintana"
:lol:

He thanked both Jungles and Mollema in his interview to RAI as well, he did not add that last part though
Did he really say that anyway, was that on dutch television?

He basically won already, unless he has a technincal or another forced "pit stop", he should hold these verbal jabs and enjoy...

 

[cellardoor]

Re:

I'm so nervous!!! Tom, it's your time to shine!!!

Me too. I feel he's left a lot on the road and won't be at his best tomorrow. Luckily I've been growing my fingernails in anticipation.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Re:

BM Tom takes the Giro! Congrats.

It really is a new era of cycling. The new mentality of people riding for 5th place instead of gambling to get higher placings means that the top contenders will often find people to drag them when they get dropped. The 5th-10th place finishers hold the keys to deciding who wins GT's today, and Tom was the best at making friends with them and getting them to be his helpers. I guess you just have to applaud him for that, he played the game the best.

Oh cmon. Nibali and Quintana were also really creative in finding friends and making combines against Tom. It's only fair he tries the same.

Yet, I think Pinot is the biggest danger aside from Tom and Nibali/Q don't even realize

 

[classicomano]

Sunweb should try to hire Hirt to replace Ten Dam.

 

[Red Rick]

Dumoulin admitted he's fading a bit. He said that he's not as good as he was on Oropa and Blockhaus, but he wasn't close to cracking

 

[staubsauger]

They've probably hired Mollema already, since Trek apparently goes for the Aru & Contador combo. Wouldn't surprise me at all.

In theory Dumoulin, Mollema, Kelderman, Barguil, Oomen, Preidler would be pretty decent for next year's TdF actually!

Also, Giant should've enough cash to become the Ferrari team of cycling. Otherwise there's certainly a big Dutch or BeNeLux company that likes to invest into the new Dutch Giro champ now.