Tom Dumoulin on former team Jumbo-Visma: “Very unique, but I hope we don’t see it very often anymore” | Cycling

Tom Dumoulin knows the house, but he responds in… number “surprised”. “No one expected this dominance, not even the Jumbo-Visma team itself.”

Surprisingly, but then again no. “Look at how well they are improving and winning and add that to the other teams that are failing.”

“If you also prepare your first team for the Vuelta and prepare them optimally, it’s obviously possible. It’s very unique, but I don’t think we’ll see that much again.”

“I actually hope it doesn’t, because as an objective follower of cycling, there have been more exciting Vueltas and Grand Tours. We haven’t seen any battle. It’s been a dull and strange last week.”

“I hope the other teams have woken up,” continues Dumoulin, who stopped racing last year. He rode for Jumbo-Visma in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

“Everything has fallen into place for Jumbo-Visma this year. It seems to me that it will take a few more seasons.”

“History shows that the top teams – also in football for example – are great for a few years, but at a certain point, for example, the riders leave.”

“Or other teams take a step and get to the same level. Then you get a different percentage. But for now it looks good.”

What does Jumbo-Visma do that others don’t? Tom Dumoulin thinks for a long time. “They have a vision and a goal. They work in a very organized way, more so than other teams. The plan is written and they really stick to it.”

“It’s basically about complete preparation. When they go to the Vuelta with their leaders, they look back weeks and months. To make sure that at the start they are at their best.”

“They look at all aspects: training, nutrition, equipment, care. With other teams there are more coincidences. Professionalism, yes.”

“You expect other teams to make this move, but next year Jumbo-Visma will win one or two Grand Tours. They have such a lead and you can’t reduce it to zero in one go.”