‘Tom Dumoulin should not have led the way’ | Cycling

sport">With two weeks of racing to go, the Limburger is 2 minutes and 20 seconds behind on jersey wearer Adam Yates. “We found out that Sepp (Kiss, ed.) Had a lesser day and eventually Tom too. That was our biggest disappointment. He’s just better than he thinks. That is ashame. He shouldn’t have been in the lead if necessary. Then the damage could have been limited even more. He shouldn’t have done it and perhaps shouldn’t even have done it ”, Maassen said in conversation with the WE.

sport">Dumoulin had already taken the lead of the group before the team management could prevent that. Maassen: “We heard it too late, by then the damage had actually already been done. We have to be honest: he shouldn’t have done that. He already indicated that he was not good, so probably the result would not have been very different, but it should not have been. ”

Dumoulin’s response

sport">Dumoulin himself stated: „We are here to win the Tour, initially with Primoz or with me. Today I felt: it just won’t work anymore. In the last few kilometers of the Port de Balès, when Wout took over from Robert, I already felt that I did not have the legs to go with the best until the finish. I had to leave a hole, but was able to reconnect in the descent. I hung up and strangle with it. I then made the choice on the Peyresourde to take the lead for Primoz. ”

sport">After three stage victories, it was Jumbo-Visma’s first bad day in this year’s Tour, Maassen acknowledged. “We have to be honest about that. We would have preferred it differently, but that’s the reality. We had in mind that Primoz (Roglic, ed.) Could make the difference at the end and that Tom would go with the best. ”

–