Tom Dumoulin: 'I never expected to win the Giro d'Italia. Maybe in the future with a lot of luck, but not now'
Tom Dumoulin reflects on a famous Giro d'Italia victory
Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) says that when the Giro d'Italia began in Sardinia at the start of May, he never expected he would win in Milan like he did on Sunday.
Dumoulin, 26, became the first Dutchman in the race's 100 editions to win. He dislodged leader Nairo Quintana (Movistar), who was the first Colombian to win in 2014, in stage 21's time trial today in Milan.
>>> Tom Dumoulin overhauls Nairo Quintana to win Giro d'Itlaia in nail-biting final time trial
"No, I never expected to win the Giro," Dumoulin said dressed in pink. "Maybe somewhere in the future, maybe one time with a lot of luck or whatever, but not this year. I would have been very happy with a place in the top ten."
Dumoulin looked relax as he sat eating a slice of pizza bought at a nearby shop by his mother in the shadow of Milan's famous Duomo cathedral.
Dumoulin gained on his rivals in the two time trials. He then managed himself in the mountains, sometimes limiting his loses with regular riding and sometimes attacking like on the stage to Oropa.
>>> Five talking points from stage 21 of the Giro d'Italia
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
However his Giro d'Italia will probably be best remembered for the stomach problems he had on stage 16, forcing him to stop for a natural break at a crucial point in the action.
"I still made history by s***ting in the wood but now in a positive way. I will go down in the history books for winning the Giro after pooping in the woods, it's quite amazing," Dumoulin explained.
"I lost only two minutes in the last 30 kilometres, actually only 40 seconds after my incident, so after that, I thought, 'Maybe I'm better than I thought.' But it was still a long way. Although I knew there was still the time trial."
Watch: Giro d'Italia stage 21 highlights
Dumoulin turned a 53-second deficit into a 31-second lead to move into the pink jersey in Piazza del Duomo. He finished second to stage winner Jos Van Emden (LottoNL-Jumbo) with a time of 33-23. Quintana clocked 34-47.
"It's great. I don't now what to say. This is a dream come true," he continued.
"When I crossed the line, they said, you won! You won! Then it was only three seconds. I was freaking out. It was incredible. This is crazy. I could not have imagined this, never. I was strong, I was lucky, everything fell into the place during the Giro.
"I won it, it's incredible. I was feeling good, but halfway through the time trial, in my ear piece, they said, 'Don't take any more risks.' And I thought, OK, I must be winning. They should never do that again, because when I crossed the line, it was still so close."
The time blasted him from fourth to first overall. Nairo Quintana slipped to second and two-time champion Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) slipped from second to third overall.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
‘There's no point to race for 50th place’: Peter Sagan explains why he’s a cycling esports ambassador but won’t compete
As a MyWhoosh ambassador, Sagan admires the sport’s evolution, but does he have the watts to compete with today’s virtual cycling stars?
By Christopher Schwenker Published
-
Rapha's loss, your gain: prices slashed sitewide amid profitability concerns
The British clothing brand unveils an almost unheard-of 25% discount across its entire product range
By Hannah Bussey Published
-
Changing of the guard: Seven top cyclists who have retired in 2022
Vincenzo Nibali, Alejandro Valverde and Tom Dumoulin have all called time on their careers this year
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Celebrating the career of Tom Dumoulin: our three favourite moments
The former Giro d’Italia winner announced his immediate retirement earlier this week
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tom Dumoulin ends career with immediate effect
Dutch former Giro d’Italia winner brings forward retirement from professional cycling
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'Cycling required my blood, sweat and tears at times, but mostly it was beautiful' — Tom Dumoulin to retire at end of 2022 season
Tom Dumoulin has announced that he will retire this year, and take a take "new and unknown path" from next year
By Adam Becket Published
-
'I’ve struggled with having a whole crew revolve around me in the past': Tom Dumoulin happy to share Jumbo-Visma's Giro d'Italia leadership
The Dutchman makes his return to the race he won in 2017
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Tom Dumoulin confirms he will ride for the overall at a Grand Tour in 2022
The former time trial world champion hasn't had a serious go at a Grand Tour since the 2018 Tour de France
By Tim Bonville-Ginn Published
-
Tom Dumoulin doesn't rule out Grand Tour return in 2022
Dutchman will decide on his season at the Jumbo-Visma training camp in mid-December
By Ryan Dabbs Published
-
Tom Dumoulin to Team BikeExchange for 2022?
L'Equipe reports Giant bikes could be instrumental in taking Dutch star from Jumbo-Visma
By Richard Windsor Last updated