So far so good. The Tour of Italy di Tom Dumoulin He's going according to plan. A tricky first stage in which he didn't lose a second, a good time trial, and tomorrow Etna is in sight. On paper, this isn't the Dutchman's obstacle.
The watershed of his Giro will be the blockhouse, at least that's what they think in Jumbo-Visma. During the Hungarian days we also talked about it with Edoardo Affini, The Dutchman's companion. A gregarious one, yes, but a high-class one.
Edoardo, let's start with you: how are you?
I think Good enough. For this Giro, the approach was a little different than usual, given that Roubaix finished later because it was raced quite far ahead. Therefore, there wasn't much time to break away and restart. It's been a constant. We'll see how the body reacts. But I think I can say that both my teammates and I are doing well. We'll obviously try to have a great Giro.
Dumoulin and Foss offer great promise…
We'll see how the captains and the rankings people do. On paper, they're doing fine!
We always talk about captains and less about wingmen. What role will you have? And then, Tom is tall, you're tall: is there also a physical affinity? Is it crazy to say that maybe he's asking for your presence for this reason too?
Oh, I don't know... I do what I can. Yes, I'm tall, but I'm also ten kilos heavier than him!
But aerodynamics doesn't know that!
Ah, ah, ah… I will certainly be able to contribute. Me and Jos van Emden we will be his two squires especially for the plain. We will try to keep the captains (Affini speaks in the plural also thinking of Foss, ed.) covered at every possible moment. And I admit that size helps for this.
What's Dumoulin like as a captain: is he demanding, does he make special requests? Or is he a quiet type?
Honestly, I can't say much because I haven't raced there much. I only did the BinckBank Tour with Tom last year. We had the opportunity to get to know each other a little more in detail this winter, especially during retreats. Generally, however, he's quite calm and doesn't bother telling you too much what to do.
You're a domestique, but last year in Verona you came close to winning. Are you aiming for a stage this time?
Not exactly a race. Let's just say I'll try to do my best in the time trials, even if they're not really suited to me. As for the rest, we'll see how the race pans out. Depending on how the situation will develop with the general classification. Because if, as we hope, everything goes well, I might have to conserve some energy to work better. However, if something doesn't go well, I'll have more freedom of action. At that point, I'll try to join a breakaway or attempt a move.
You mentioned the standings, but do you think Dumoulin has them in mind?
Even on the stage at the team presentation, Tom had said he was thinking about it. He will obviously try to get the best possible result, even if is aware that However, this is the first major Giro he has done since his break. We'll have to see how his body reacts. I see him motivated, I see him eager to get started again. And then he has a good relationship with him, the Giro, and Italy.
You mentioned the Roubaix so late. Did anything change in your preparation? Did you actually stop racing, or did you climb higher?
No, that's exactly it. We couldn't go to high altitude because, finishing on April 17th, there wasn't enough time. Going to high altitude, coming back, and coming to the Giro wouldn't have made sense. And I couldn't even take a break, because we had to leave again in another ten days. So We tried to find a sort of balance, alternating some quieter days with some more eventful days.
Dumoulin's uncertainties
Dumoulin is a classy rider. From what little we saw of him, he seemed focused, eager to test himself, but shrouded in doubt about his stamina. And he didn't seem super tight to us (it's just a feeling, mind you), maybe he'll lose that extra "little kilo" along the way.
He's not actually racing from Ghent. He's done some altitude. It's all a matter of fact. At Jumbo, they're talking about Blockhaus; they know that such a tough climb might be too much for someone who isn't a climber in their DNA and hasn't done any GC in three years, but we'll know more tomorrow. If things go well on the Volcano, Dumoulin might gain confidence. And a calm Tom can be scary.
