Tom Dumoulin: I’m a much happier person now

Tom Dumoulin has revealed he considers his personal victory against the pressures and expectations of professional cycling as his most important success of 2018.

The Team Sunweb leader finished second in the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and the world time trial championships but looks back at his year with personal satisfaction in a revealing interview with the De Telegraaf newspaper.

“I have listened much more to my feelings,” Dumoulin explained.

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“Of course, I continued to work hard, but I dared to let go of all the plans and goals. If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. I don’t want to control things too tightly and in a race dozens of things happen that you can’t control. Putting that oppressive feeling aside felt like a victory. My most important success in 2018 was perhaps that victory over myself. I am very proud of that."

Dumoulin married his long-time partner Thanee during the winter. She is a psychologist and has helped Dumoulin understand himself after the success of winning the 2017 Giro d’Italia almost overwhelmed him.

"It was intense how the world around me suddenly changed," Dumoulin explained.

“Humans aren’t made to deal with so many changes. The world is going so fast now, much faster than fifty years ago. Everything is busy, you live continuously in the highest gear. It’s not normal for someone to process all of this in a short period of time. There was a short circuit in my head. I had to learn to deal with all those events and that needed time."

Back to his best for the Grand Tours

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