The main target is later in the year, but Tom Dumoulin would have liked to win the title for a fifth time in his last DST test appearance. But Bok Mollima surprisingly outperformed him on Wednesday in Emmen. “There are still a few great matches ahead,” Jumbo-Visma’s Limberger looked ahead. Dumoulin will stop cycling for good this fall.
World Cup in Wollongong, Australia, Dumoulin (31) sees a beautiful ending. After a somewhat disappointing performance, he said, “I also drove my first World Championship as a U-23 in Australia. I have good memories of it.” “You’re still second, aren’t you,” he said with a laugh. But his back injury, which forced him to disembark early in the Giro d’Italia, prevented him from preparing well. “I was hoping to be able to recover well with two weeks of rest and hope for more here. But you lose your level immediately if you can’t train fully. You’re actually kidding yourself.”
The plan was to ride the Tour of Poland and the Tour of the Benelux towards the World Cup. Now that the last game has been canceled, another plan is being sought. A time trial at the European Championships in Munich is also an option. “But it is also possible during that time to prepare myself at the top for the World Cup.”
He often realizes that it is in the last months of his life as a professional cycling. “Recharging is not a problem. I’ve been focused too today. I’ve announced that I’m going to stop, but I want to finish my career well. I haven’t let go yet.”
