Tom Dumoulin was a highly successful cyclist during his time with Team Sunweb (2017-2019). However, upon transferring to Jumbo-Visma, the Dutch cyclist lost his freedom and autonomy, leading to the end of his professional career.
“I needed freedom and autonomy, and this team represented structure. Nothing wrong with that team because they are doing very well and had everything under control, even in my time.
Loss of the part I needed the most
However, I lost that part I needed the most, that autonomy,” admits Dumoulin in an interview with the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.
“Not with bad intentions, because the team had the best for me, but I lost. I lost a part of myself, which made it an unhappy marriage.”
The Dutchman was hired as a captain, but in the stage races he participated in, he never performed at the same level again.”
The documentary revealed all the controversy surrounding the situation. Although the Dutch team thrives with its training methods, it hasn’t always been that way. Their former cyclist was a clear example, and this became evident during the 2020 Code Geel documentary series, which exposed the entire team structure.
“It will certainly be controversial. I wasn’t feeling well at that time, and I was very unhappy; you can see that very clearly in that film, at least that’s what people told me.” In the 2020 Tour de France, Tom Dumoulin finished in 7th place overall, 7 minutes and 48 seconds behind the winner, Tadej Pogacar.
