Teams & Riders Tom Dumoulin discussion thread

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Can't blame him for not winning against these guys while clearly not at his best after a long season. Certainly shows Froome and Thomas are wrong thinking you cannot do a good Worlds after doing the TDF.
Also shows Roglic was wrong skipping the ITT.

If you're good enough you can be good all year long. Valverde has proven that plenty. Nibali (in the past, not last few years) as well.

 

[Climbing]

Another fantastic performance!

 

[SafeBet]

Dumoulin is truly an elite athlete and amongst the most complete riders in the peloton. I would love him to focus on the classics but he's such a GT beast that I can see him peaking mostly for the Tour for the foreseeable future.

I think he has a legit shot in at least 4 Monuments.

 

[kiszol]

Re:

Can't blame him for not winning against these guys while clearly not at his best after a long season. Certainly shows Froome and Thomas are wrong thinking you cannot do a good Worlds after doing the TDF.
Also shows Roglic was wrong skipping the ITT.

If you're good enough you can be good all year long. Valverde has proven that plenty. Nibali (in the past, not last few years) as well.

This is true, but sometimes less is more. What if he only does the Tour and the Worlds RR this year? Perhaps he is a TdF winner and a World Champion then. Ok, probably not, but who knows? I'm not blaming him, I think he was smart this year. Now he knows he can do a double attempt in a year and for the Worlds ITT, he had to try to defend the jersey and the silver is a good result. Still, it easily could've been even better.

 

[lartiste]

If I remember it was Tom zigzag from left to right and back. If I remember correctly it was also Froome's problem, when he learned how to ride bike straight away he started winning GT's. I think TD would consider to join Sky to learn how to go straight :lol: .

Anyway, great performance, when he cameback, I was the feeling he can really try, but probably was completely done. Anyway great success for him. Congratulations!

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

Can't blame him for not winning against these guys while clearly not at his best after a long season. Certainly shows Froome and Thomas are wrong thinking you cannot do a good Worlds after doing the TDF.
Also shows Roglic was wrong skipping the ITT.

If you're good enough you can be good all year long. Valverde has proven that plenty. Nibali (in the past, not last few years) as well.

This is true, but sometimes less is more. What if he only does the Tour and the Worlds RR this year? Perhaps he is a TdF winner and a World Champion then. Ok, probably not, but who knows? I'm not blaming him, I think he was smart this year. Now he knows he can do a double attempt in a year and for the Worlds ITT, he had to try to defend the jersey and the silver is a good result. Still, it easily could've been even better.

I am adamant Giro/Vuelta/Worlds would've given a much better chance at winning one of those races

 

[Cookster15]

This guy is incredible.Yes Heart of a lion. Amazing resilience and to do this after everything he has achieved since the early season and he admitted he was running on empty in the TT. Then to come back to the wheels of the lead trio. Just so strong. Massive respect.

 

[HelloDolly]

Re:

This guy is incredible.Yes Heart of a lion. Amazing resilience and to do this after everything he has achieved since the early season and he admitted he was running on empty in the TT. Then to come back to the wheels of the lead trio. Just so strong. Massive respect.

I agree totally ...shows mental strength is just as if not more important than physical strength

Hope he wins the Tour in 2019

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Can't blame him for not winning against these guys while clearly not at his best after a long season. Certainly shows Froome and Thomas are wrong thinking you cannot do a good Worlds after doing the TDF.
Also shows Roglic was wrong skipping the ITT.

If you're good enough you can be good all year long. Valverde has proven that plenty. Nibali (in the past, not last few years) as well.

I don't think Froome is wrong in thinking he can't. Because he can't since he is a horrible one day racer - he has tried a few times, but he knows his limitations now. Especially now that he isn't superhuman strong anymore after a pretty stressing season. I doubt he would have made the selection after Igls.

Thomas on the other hand, typical TdF-winner syndrome.

 

[Red Rick]

I think Froome just never learnt how to work toward a one day race. Its not like he could never be great on day 1 or 2 of a stage race for example.

The only legit crack Froome ever gave at a one day race was Rio 2016.

 

[Leinster]

Looking at GB using Knox, Tao, Kennaugh on the later climbs makes you wonder how much damage Froome could have done riding for Yates.

But then you realise that Kennaugh finished 16th, and Adam was their next best in 37th, and see that Froome's presence would have made no difference whatsoever.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

I think Froome just never learnt how to work toward a one day race. Its not like he could never be great on day 1 or 2 of a stage race for example.

The only legit crack Froome ever gave at a one day race was Rio 2016.

A bit like like Contador. With their grand tour success it hardly matters. With Valverde it's been the opposite. One day races over GTs but he has the ability to win both or used to.

Dumoulin has proved he has a huge engine and stamina but he probably has to narrow his schedule to be more successful. Of course Froome can't go on like this forever.

 

[Red Rick]

.....

I just realised Dumoulin riding Hammer Series on October 14th means no Lombardia on the 13th.

WHAT THE *** UCI

 

[Bardamu]

Re:

.....

I just realised Dumoulin riding Hammer Series on October 14th means no Lombardia on the 13th.

WHAT THE **** UCI

Damn I was already looking at the startlist for Lombardia this morning, hoping the best riders of yesterday would extend their year a bit. This sucks donkey balls.

 

[Alexandre B.]

Re:

.....

I just realised Dumoulin riding Hammer Series on October 14th means no Lombardia on the 13th.

WHAT THE **** UCI

Blame him and Sunweb to race this masquerade.

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah, that too.

 

[Bardamu]

If he wants to test his one-day racing potential he should ride Lombardia in this form. The race suits him, riders often finish solo, and the startlist is normally strong, but never stacked.

 

[RedheadDane]

Maybe he wants to ride the Hammer Series. Maybe he just wants to have a bit of fun.
Surely the guy who was second in the Giro, second in the Tour, second at the ITT World Championships, and finally fourth in the RR World Championships can be allowed to have a bit of fun.

 

[rei_da_montanha]

Re:

If I remember it was Tom zigzag from left to right and back. If I remember correctly it was also Froome's problem, when he learned how to ride bike straight away he started winning GT's. I think TD would consider to join Sky to learn how to go straight :lol: .

Anyway, great performance, when he cameback, I was the feeling he can really try, but probably was completely done. Anyway great success for him. Congratulations!

Dumoulin has one GT in his palmares.

And zigzaging in this gradients is perfect normal. It's a smart way to ride extreme gradients, Contador did this sometimes (Tirreno-Adriatico stage in 2014 for example).

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

.....

I just realised Dumoulin riding Hammer Series on October 14th means no Lombardia on the 13th.

WHAT THE **** UCI

Okay guys, just changed my mind, nuke velon

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Maybe he wants to ride the Hammer Series. Maybe he just wants to have a bit of fun.
Surely the guy who was second in the Giro, second in the Tour, second at the ITT World Championships, and finally fourth in the RR World Championships can be allowed to have a bit of fun.

I doubt he'd go to HK to ride a crap event for fun.

Either there's serious pressure on Dumoulin to ride a *** exho instead of a monument, or Dumoulin doesn't care too much about the fall classics. It would be disappointing to me if it were the latter

 

[Bardamu]

Re: Re:

Maybe he wants to ride the Hammer Series. Maybe he just wants to have a bit of fun.
Surely the guy who was second in the Giro, second in the Tour, second at the ITT World Championships, and finally fourth in the RR World Championships can be allowed to have a bit of fun.

I doubt he'd go to HK to ride a crap event for fun.

Either there's serious pressure on Dumoulin to ride a **** exho instead of a monument, or Dumoulin doesn't care too much about the fall classics. It would be disappointing to me if it were the latter

If he feels good enough, I'm quite sure he still wants to ride Lombardia, but maybe he's done for after the Worlds.

 

[yaco]

The bigger question is whether TD will go on and ride the Tour of Guangzi.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

Maybe he wants to ride the Hammer Series. Maybe he just wants to have a bit of fun.
Surely the guy who was second in the Giro, second in the Tour, second at the ITT World Championships, and finally fourth in the RR World Championships can be allowed to have a bit of fun.

I doubt he'd go to HK to ride a crap event for fun.

Either there's serious pressure on Dumoulin to ride a **** exho instead of a monument, or Dumoulin doesn't care too much about the fall classics. It would be disappointing to me if it were the latter

If he feels good enough, I'm quite sure he still wants to ride Lombardia, but maybe he's done for after the Worlds.

Yeah.

But it was announced even before the ITT at the Worlds.

Last year Il Lombardia was in the plans and they decided it wasn't gonna work after Tre Valli Varisene.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Tbh I think he is dead exhausted and ride's Velon purely because he must. If he didn't he wouldve ended his season I'm pretty sure