Team BikeExchange's general manager Brent Copeland has confirmed that Tom Dumoulin is among the riders they will consider signing for the future as a potential general classification (GC) rider.
The Dutch rider is out of contract at the end of 2022 with his current team Jumbo-Visma, so for Team BikeExchange this would be a move looking to the future, rather than a short-term possibility. Last month L’Equipe reported that Dumoulin could terminate his contract with Jumbo-Visma, but he quickly denied the claim.
However, with the 30-year-old out of contract in a year's time, Copeland revealed that the team will definitely consider bringing him to the Australian outfit.
“Tom Dumoulin is a rider that's on the market at the end of next year and he is a rider that most teams would like to have on board if he performs like he did at the Olympics, for example,” Brent Copeland told Cyclingnews.
“If he's wanting to carry on with GC ambitions he is definitely a rider that we would sit down and say, ‘okay, is this someone that we could bring on board for the future and work with’. He has still got a good couple of years ahead of him, so those discussions are ongoing all the time.”
Dumoulin's 2021 season featured a limited race schedule, after announcing in January that he would take an indefinite leave from the sport to better understand his motivations for cycling. However, he still managed to show his quality in the year, with both first place in the Dutch National Championships time trial in June, his first event after his return, and a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games time trial.
The 2017 Giro d'Italia winner, Copeland argues, now has to prove he is able to perform over the year before the team makes a decision.
“You have to see how he goes next year; if he's going to invest in GC still, or three week GC or just one-week GC races," said Copeland. "That's something we'll have to look at but it’s not a decision we make today. He's one of many riders that we have on the list that we are continuously looking at and thinking about for the future."
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Should the Dutchman convince Team BikeExchange management of his quality, they could have a strong contingent of riders capable of challenging at the Grand Tours, after the team lost Adam Yates and Jack Haig to rival squads.
