Tom Dumoulin is satisfied after the second test on his test bike in Switzerland

This 44-kilometre experience is the big goal of Dumoulin, who after several months of doubt decided to become a cyclist again. The climb and descent time trial in which Dumoulin finished fifth with 56 seconds behind stage winner Rigoberto Uran was the penultimate stage of the Tour de Suisse, an eight-day climbing feast that many riders use to prepare for or highlight the Tour de France. That June 26th begins.

Ecuadorean climber and 2019 Giro winner Richard Carapaz (28) won the Swiss Tour on Sunday thanks to the dominant and dominant Ineos Grenadines. Earlier this year, this British team also dominated the Giro with overall winner Egan Bernal. In a multi-day race afterwards, the Critérium du Dauphiné, Ineos also held the knot with winner Richie Porte (36) and third place in the final classification, Geraint Thomas (35), the 2018 Tour de France winner. Carapaz, Porte and Thomas were all included in the upcoming Tour team that was named last year’s Giro winner, Tao Geoghegan Hart (26).

Sam Omen VIII

Sam Omen (25) was the best Dutchman with eighth place in the final standings, 4 minutes 16 behind Carapaz. Omen, who has been considered a future touring racer for some time, rode in Switzerland as the leader of Jumbo-Visma – “too cute”. According to his athletic director Adi Engels, Omen passed his exam with eighth place. “This is a great achievement in this field and confirmation that he is a good rider.”

In August, on the Tour of Spain, Omen will have the opportunity to show it off on a three-week grand tour. He’s not in the Jumbo-Visma lineup for the tour. Dumoulin, second in the final standings in 2018, will not go to France either. He’s only working on an Olympic time trial, and his participation in the Tour de Suisse, which also featured a short, flat “chrono” on day one, was in line with that.

Dumoulin had to prove to himself and the elector Cos Morenhaut that getting a medal in Tokyo was a realistic task. “I was really nervous,” Dumoulin said of the first hours of the trial last Sunday. I haven’t felt this feeling in a long time. That’s why I’m here, to take this head.

new material

The Limburger also rode new material, because Jumbo-Visma has changed the bike brand. “First time on those wheels, and first time on those tires, which took some getting used to.” Dumoulin was content with a 16th place finish on the first try, but felt a little reticence in himself along the way: “Then you remove the tension from your legs too early for a corner kick. Then you think: I have to slow down for that, let me do it ten meters before. You can tell by these kinds of things that you’re missing something.

Although his love of the bike had pushed him back into cycling, the specialist knew that the time trial was actually a terrible thing. I don’t enjoy it when I’m running. Nobody has it and I didn’t. It wouldn’t be good if you also had this. Experience time going at full capacity and throwing everything you have on the road. This is definitely not something you can describe as “fun”.

There was a clear upward trend between Dumoulin’s first and second trial, with five days of racing in between. “I can be very satisfied with that,” he said of the difficulty of climbing on Saturday. “This confirms that my level is reasonable.” The level he was at on September 19 last year is what Dumoulin is looking for. He then finished second behind Tadej Pogacar in the time trial which Pogacar won the Tour.

“It’s definitely better to compete for prizes at the Olympics.” However: two successful tests, according to Dumoulin. A third test will follow on Wednesday: the Dutch Time Test Championship in Emmen.