Tom Dumoulin puts career on hold.

velo.2010

News from Jumbo-Visma that Tom Dumoulin has left their training camp with immediate effect. He's made a statement which refers to the pressure to get results and making people happy, and that stepping away for the time being is a huge weight of his shoulders. It's probably not a big surprise given some of his comments after returning from his knee injury in 2020.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tom-dumoulin-puts-career-on-hold-and-leaves-jumbo-visma-training-camp/

I wish him the best in whatever he choses to do — whether he quits for good or comes back next year with a new perspective.

Several sports people have taken time during the pandemic to reflect on their careers and decided to stop for good. Reading of a young jockey today who's decided to walk away from what many would consider a successful career.

godtabh

velo.2010 wrote: »

News from Jumbo-Visma that Tom Dumoulin has left their training camp with immediate effect. He's made a statement which refers to the pressure to get results and making people happy, and that stepping away for the time being is a huge weight of his shoulders. It's probably not a big surprise given some of his comments after returning from his knee injury in 2020.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tom-dumoulin-puts-career-on-hold-and-leaves-jumbo-visma-training-camp/

I wish him the best in whatever he choses to do — whether he quits for good or comes back next year with a new perspective.

Several sports people have taken time during the pandemic to reflect on their careers and decided to stop for good. Reading of a young jockey today who's decided to walk away from what many would consider a successful career.

I saw that on Twitter and googled it. It was only yesterday he was doing press for the year ahead.

In his announced he talks for the pressure of doing well for others. Must be a touch life. The lifestyle being away from family etc etc. Must take its toll

godtabh

https://twitter.com/BasTietema/status/1353033377667051520?s=20

RunDMC

I was listening to Tom being interview on the Cycling Podcosts earlier and I was thinking how remarkably comfortable and relaxed he was! This was about 30 seconds before I got the notification from Cycling News that he was quitting. Just goes to show, you never really know.

R

TheBlaaMan

He seems very happy with the decision. It looks like the pressure of expectation is just too much at present

dastardly00

Yeah it sounds like he is already much happier after making the decision. Best of luck to him.

Good on him, I know he's left the door open but can't see him coming back, he's been out since the crash at the Giro with 20-25 days racing after it and hasn't right since and the pressure to get back to where he was must have been something else.

As far as I know he as a medical/GP background or was studying towards it. I know I'd be happier to see my GP if they told me they'd won the Giro and BinkBank Tour

neris

I think alot of these guys go in now under alot of pressure and expectation from the beginning. It's not like in Roche or Kellys days where they were kind of eased into it plus the microscope of social media scrutinising everything they do, eat, say riding is put under a microscope.

neris

neris wrote: »

I think alot of these guys go in now under alot of pressure and expectation from the beginning. It's not like in Roche or Kellys days where they were kind of eased into it plus the microscope of social media scrutinising everything they do, eat, say riding is put under a microscope.

There was an interview with Roche on sticky bottle during the week talking about some of these things.

hellojoe21

Kittel did the same not so long ago. He said he just didnt have the motivation to train at such a high level anymore. I'll miss dumoulin! A fine competitor and a fantastic time trialist.

MojoMaker

I feel the same - I don't think this is a temporary withdrawal at all, it's the end of TD as a pro peloton rider.

Interesting to see if he is done with cycling entirely, or is this a break before coming back into a team as a DS or performance advisor etc.

nilhg

https://twitter.com/TourDeJose/status/1353616544836841473


You would imagine that Jose Been is reasonably well informed about the possibilities.

Macy0161

Easy to blame the media, but I think fans in general are guilty of it too*. To build upon José Been and her Gesink point - Nico Roche got (and continues to get) stick for "giving up" leadership to go to be a Domestique at Tinkoff and Sky. Lots of riders get the same for "taking the money" to go to Skineos.

I guess we as fans only focus on the money side rather than seeing it that it's also to do with the pressure of the role that being a leader in cycling brings.

*I certainly would've myself in the past to some degree - I always focussed on the "professional" aspect of them maximising their earning as an acceptable justification rather than really considering the mental/ pressure side of it.