BARCELONA, 3 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Dutch cyclist Tom Dumoulin, now in the ranks of Jumbo-Visma, announced this Friday his definitive retirement, after a previous break, at the end of this 2022 season, leaving a good track record with a Giro d’Italia or two Olympic silver medals against the clock
“I have decided that 2022 will be my last year as a professional cyclist. In 2020 I had a difficult year and at the end of that year I ended up tired and very burnt out. At the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021 I was only a shadow of myself and that is why I decided take some time to rest from cycling and think about my future”, he commented in an open letter about that temporary withdrawal prior to this final one.
He returned in time to win Olympic silver at Tokyo 2020, in the summer of 2022, and add it to that of the Rio 2016 Games, also against the clock. Two pearls of a record with 22 professional victories, with 3 stages in the Tour de France (and second place in 2018), four stages in the Giro (which he won in 2017) or the 2017 World Time Trial, in Bergen (Norway).
“I decided to continue my career, on the one hand because the Tokyo Olympics had been on my mind for five years and I didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity. On the other, my love for cycling and the passion I have for the cycling world. The medal silver in Tokyo was my highlight and I am very proud of that milestone,” he recalled in his open letter.
The Dutchman acknowledged that this year has been a “frustrating road” in which his body felt tired and still feels tired. “Right now, there is no balance between 100 percent dedication and everything that I have sacrificed for my sport and what I am receiving in return,” he argued.
“With a lot of patience and care, I am convinced that I could once again unleash my full potential on the bike. But it would be a long and patient road that does not guarantee success. I chose not to take that road, to leave professional cycling and take a new path unknown,” said Dumoulin, who retired from the last Giro d’Italia on stage 14.
“The team and I have been planning how to face the last few months. A few last months that I hope will bring joy and success. I am especially looking forward to the World Championships in Australia, where I hope to give my best in the time trial one last time,” he explained. .
Looking to the future, he pointed out that he will continue to be linked to the world of cycling. “I don’t know what I want to do after my professional career and I don’t know what I want to do right now either. But I know that my love for the bike will always have me connected to the world of cycling in one way or another,” he said.