Teams & Riders Tom Dumoulin discussion thread

[HelloDolly]

Needs to fix his knee first ...after that he can win some late races...doesnt want to messup his leg

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

dunno wether to make heads or tails from this.

considering the injury 3rd is actually decent. But we all know a good Tom crushes even guys like Kruijswijk and V Garderen on a hilly course with at least 50s/1m. So I think he's far from his best.

Precisely the result that means nothing imo

 

[gregrowlerson]

The Tour is too much of a bigger race compared to the Vuelta. I don't see the team allowing him to skip the Vuelta for it. 90% fit, he'll be expected to start in July.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

hmm reading some other interview were he seems more downcast and less hopefull for the Tour. He really wanted to win the TT even if it was unreal, and he thinks he is further off form than he hoped to be. Also thinks recovery isn't fast enough, ike he could start the Tour but then with little chance of being in great form.

I think there is a very real chance that he might decide in a few weeks to skip the Tour alltogether

 

[Bolder]

I don't see much upside to him starting the tour if his knee isn't 95% better -- ideally he'd be pain-free even if his overall form isn't there. TD is one of the few truly exceptional GT riders and it would be a shame if he came away from this season with zero results. Targeting the Vuelta might be a better idea....of course, having said that we know he can podium in 2 consecutive GTs, so...

 

[Red Rick]

Don't see how he could do a good Vuelta if he does the Tour here. He already spent a lot of energy getting ready for the Giro, and since then it's been nursing injury and frantically getting ready for a suboptimal Tour bid.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

He felt a lot better today and wants to test himself tomorrow. Curious now. He will obviously not be good enough to contend with the best, but if he sticks relatively close it would be a good sign

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Re:

He felt a lot better today and wants to test himself tomorrow. Curious now. He will obviously not be good enough to contend with the best, but if he sticks relatively close it would be a good sign

Will he try to attack and go for a stagewin, or does he want to stick with Yates and co and see if he can follow them?

I mean, he's far enough in GC to attack. But going in a break or solo, might not give him the answers he's looking for.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Both options are open. If the situation arises he'll try to go in the break. But if that doesn't work out he might try and hang with the gc men

 

[Leinster]

If he goes in the break and finishes before the gc group, that will give him all the answers he could possibly be looking for. Except “Can he go full gas 2 or 3 days in a row?”

He could try and follow Quintana. That would be a good measuring stick.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Re:

If he goes in the break and finishes before the gc group, that will give him all the answers he could possibly be looking for.

I don't see how. Winning from a breakaway doesn't mean you are ready to follow GC guys. Or should Alaphilippe assume he can go for GC now? That's what i meant. I'm sure he'd be happy with the win, and it would give him a confidence boost, but he'd still not know how he'd fare among GC competitors.

Both options are open. If the situation arises he'll try to go in the break. But if that doesn't work out he might try and hang with the gc men

Ok, thanks.

 

[Robert5091]

I'd expect Tommy D to go with the GC guys so he knows roughly what numbers people are doing.

 

[luckyboy]

Abandons the Dauphine after 6 days because of irritation in his knee. Still going to go to altitude and then 21 days of the Tour.. Uh... It's not going to go away is it??

 

[wheresmybrakes]

He needs to get the knee sorted and stuff the Tour if needs be.

 

[Robert5091]

He needs to get the knee sorted and stuff the Tour if needs be.

Exactly - he aint going to win the TdF with a dodgy knee.

 

[glassmoon]

He needs to get the knee sorted and stuff the Tour if needs be.

imho until that splinter remains in his knee the irritation will be coming back...

 

[Red Rick]

If he goes to the Tour without cleaning out that knee

 

[glassmoon]

I wonder if it would be better for him to sort out his knee/splinter first and then do TdS instead of Dauphine...

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

I wonder if it would be better for him to sort out his knee/splinter first and then do TdS instead of Dauphine...

If the recovery time of that procedure permitted that, I don't doubt it really.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Think that's Tour over in terms of winning, unfortunately. Will be quite a weird Tour I feel...

 

[movingtarget]

Forget the Tour, should get himself right for the Vuelta.

 

[jmdirt]

He needs to get the knee sorted and stuff the Tour if needs be.

imho until that splinter remains in his knee the irritation will be coming back...

This^. When I read about the splinter I was very surprised that they hadn't taken care of it.

 

[IndianCyclist]

He needs to get the knee sorted and stuff the Tour if needs be.

imho until that splinter remains in his knee the irritation will be coming back...

This^. When I read about the splinter I was very surprised that they hadn't taken care of it.

They should have unless it is deep and requires surgery which would keep him out of TDF. Sp maybe other considerations than medical.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Sunweb seems also clueless to what to do. They want to sent them on altitude camp but at the same time they don't know what to do about the splinter.

I think they gambled and lost. They could've removed the splinter, allowed some rest, done TdSuisse and a short altitude camp. Which is not ideal, but surely better than doing Dauphine with a splinter, hope for the best, and then sent him on a long altitude camp.

Now it seems to me 90% he isn't going to do the Tour. And if he is, he'll be in no TDF winning form. Heck, even top 10 would be hard. And Dumo doesn't ride for top 10's.
So Sunweb's handling of this case might just have cost him a large part of the summer. Pretty stupid

 

[yaco]

Cut your losses and prepare Dumoulin for the Vuelta.