Teams & Riders Tom Dumoulin discussion thread

[SeriousSam]

Aru was too strong. But he'll be on the podium, monumental result for his career and expected future earnings.

 

[sir fly]

Tom sounds optimistic and eager to hold on.

 

[Red Rick]

Why are you so certain Aru will drop Dumoulin? It's no longer 8+ gradients anymroe. Cotos is 5% average. I think Morcuera is Aru's only shot in that stage.

I do think Dumoulin might have a bitter sprint, considering bonifications. If he doesn't he's gonne get screwed there.

 

[harryh]

Chapeau Tom! However I think he started a bit too fast. With better pacing we would have gained at least 30 secs more.

 

[IndianCyclist]

He has proved to be a better podium contender compared to other GC hopefuls like Majka, Chaves, all current Dutch climbers. Hope he can sustain.

 

[staubsauger]

Re:

Aru was too strong. But he'll be on the podium, monumental result for his career and expected future earnings.

No one would've expected this before. Well, except Leclercq! Good call Mister expert!

 

[Red Rick]

I'm wondering how much he can still improve. I think that he's now at a point where even a small improvement could greatly affect his potential GT's and maybe even classics.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Yeah, it's strange we can even be disappointed if he loses the lead now and get's 2nd. Before the race 2nd would be an impossible result. Laughable even.
It's like saying Tony Martin will win the Giro

 

[Cookster15]

Re:

Why are you so certain Aru will drop Dumoulin? It's no longer 8+ gradients anymroe. Cotos is 5% average. I think Morcuera is Aru's only shot in that stage.

I do think Dumoulin might have a bitter sprint, considering bonifications. If he doesn't he's gonne get screwed there.

Agree. If he can limit losses on 15% MTFs then he should not have too much trouble holding on 6%. Plus I think stage 19 cobbled finish might actually suit Tom more than Aru although the penultimate stage turns back in Aru's favour. Could be interesting. Not yet a forgone conclusion that Aru will win this Vuelta.

 

[gerundium]

Dumoulin to win the Vuelta by pulling a Vino ('05) in the streets of Madrid

 

[Tonton]

Re:

Yeah, it's strange we can even be disappointed if he loses the lead now and get's 2nd. Before the race 2nd would be an impossible result. Laughable even.
It's like saying Tony Martin will win the Giro

And Sagan finish second?

 

[orangerider]

Re:

He has proved to be a better podium contender compared to other GC hopefuls like Majka, Chaves, all current Dutch climbers. Hope he can sustain.

He's exactly what Tejay should've been yet failed to ever be (not just talking about this year either). Good to see a powerhouse taking some Grand Tour GC glory. Tejay should look into signing up to be a domestique for him, would be a solid pairing.

 

[sienna]

Forget Rodriguez. Despite his win today Big Tom is the big loser - he simply didn't take enough time from Aru. :|

 

[Forunculo]

Today's stage is the most difficult stage for Dumo IMO. It will be key who spent more on the ITT because today's stage is very demanding because its irregular terrain.

 

[webvan]

So he was flying...at least in the beginning, but started out too fast apparently, needs to take some cues from Wiggins in that respect. In the end when you look at Valverde's and Quintana's or even Aru's times, his performance isn't that "great".

Anywy this is going to come down to the wire, great !

 

[eric_vv]

Re:

So he was flying...at least in the beginning, but started out too fast apparently, needs to take some cues from Wiggins in that respect. In the end when you look at Valverde's and Quintana's or even Aru's times, his performance isn't that "great".

Anywy this is going to come down to the wire, great !

I don't think he started out to fast. He probably lost some time to the climbers on the hill, but still gained in the last part of the TT. He won time where he needed it and held on when it counted.
I don't think this was his best TT (we needed Tony just to get a feel what was possible), but that's to be expected after fighting for the overall.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Forget Rodriguez. Despite his win today Big Tom is the big loser - he simply didn't take enough time from Aru. :|

What more could he have done. this is 3rd week laden with fatigue. He took 1 min on Bodnar who is pretty good TTer and who didn't have to work on the climbs

 

[Vasilis]

Re:

Why are you so certain Aru will drop Dumoulin? It's no longer 8+ gradients anymroe. Cotos is 5% average. I think Morcuera is Aru's only shot in that stage.

I do think Dumoulin might have a bitter sprint, considering bonifications. If he doesn't he's gonne get screwed there.

That's why they'll let the breakaways go. Everyone who's smart and wants to win a stage should get in the breaks.

 

[Metabolol]

I think if Dumoulin wants to win this Vuelta he can't sit back and be defensive and just react to what Astana/Katusha/(Movistar) do. He and his team should try to be on the offensive and create opportunities for him.

 

[Mongolian Torque]

Re: Re:

Yeah, Froome was way more surprising. In fact Froome still is the most surprising GT winner ever and most surprising evolution ever.

Dumoulin at least had a 5th and a 3rd place in the tour de suisse. Froome had.. wel what? a 30th place on Alpe once

Difficult to disagree with this. Froome never showed an iota of talent pre-transformation.

Dumoulin certainly did.

Dumoulin is more Wiggins like

Yes- Dumoggins....

However, definitely not Dumoroome...

Froome for all of Sky's considerable efforts afforded to him including fancy meals, hotels, wind tunnels and Pinarello's , has yielded exactly TWO grand tour victories.

If Dumo wins the Vuelta, he will have exactly ONE less than Froome. Dumo's team extravagance includes travelling in a 1972 VW camper van eating beans and wieners over a Coleman stove and sleeping on a leaky air mattress. Then he goes to races where his team is completely obliterated at the sight of any incline and then he manages by himself to hang on to Sky- like teams where four or five guys deliver their guy to the foot of the hill on a silver platter.

What is there not to like about this guy?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

I think if Dumoulin wants to win this Vuelta he can't sit back and be defensive and just react to what Astana/Katusha/(Movistar) do. He and his team should try to be on the offensive and create opportunities for him.

Completely agree! He needs to pick his spots carefully and go on the offensive, I can't imagine just sitting in Aru's wheel the next 3 days (or attempt to) will win him this Vuelta.

 

[Poursuivant]

Did anyone, anywhere, fan or within the sport, predict this performance from Dumoulin?

 

[SeriousSam]

I did, but I didn't tell anyone about it and then feigned surprise when he performed as I knew he would so as to not come across as too brilliant.

 

[gerundium]

Re:

Did anyone, anywhere, fan or within the sport, predict this performance from Dumoulin?

Daniel Lloyd (the GCN presentor) placed this bet on 30th of august so at the end of the first week.

https://twitter.com/daniellloyd1/status/641663660436398082

so not at the start but still super long odds before the andorra stage.

EDIT: nvm, apparently this bet concerns the TDF '16

 

[greenedge]

Re: Re:

Who's the dutch national TT Champion?

Kelderman

How the **** did that happen?

He went too deep at TDS.