Tom Dumoulin ‘seriously considering’ leaving Sunweb at end of season, according to reports

Tom Dumoulin on stage six of the UAE Tour 2019 (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto)

(Image credit: NurPhoto via Getty Images)

By Jonny Long 2019-06-29T14:52:23Z

Tom Dumoulin is apparently "seriously considering" leaving Sunweb at the end of the season, according to reports.

The Dutchman is said to be unhappy with how he has been managed following a disastrous first half of 2019, having crashed out of the Giro d'Italia and his subsequent injury making him miss out on the Tour de France.

This is according to Italian newspaper Tuttobici, who say that the team's management of Dumoulin following the crash has put a strain on relations and has resulted in the 2017 Giro d'Italia winner wanting out.

After abandoning this year's Giro on stage five, Dumoulin had surgery to remove a piece of gravel that had been irritating his knee before turning his car around en route an altitude training camp, with the 28-year-old announcing he would be missing the 2019 Tour de France a few days later.

However, leaving the team will be easier said than done as Dumoulin is signed to Sunweb until 2021, but he is apparently determined and seriously considering his future, with some of the biggest teams in the sport alerted to the Dutchman's potential availability and considering a move for him.

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Sunweb had apparently told the rest of their roster to forget about their personal ambitions for the 2019 season and focus solely on helping Tom Dumoulin to victory at the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France.

With Dumoulin's tilts at both titles now lying in tatters, Michael Matthews said he has been left "totally confused" as he heads off to Brussels for the start of the Tour on July 6.

The Australian had trained to be as helpful as possible in the mountains as well as improving his time trialling but will go to the Tour having done little sprint training despite admitting a number of stages suit him.

In other transfer news, Tuttobici report that John Degenkolb is apparently set to leave Trek-Segafredo at the end of the season, with Lotto-Soudal showing strong interest in helping the German to strengthen his performances in the Classics. This is because Tiesj Benoot could apparently leave, with Sunweb a potential destination for the Belgian.

Jonny Long

Hi. I'm Cycling Weekly's Weekend Editor. I like writing offbeat features and eating too much bread when working out on the road at bike races. I'm 6'0", 26 years old, have a strong hairline and have an adequate amount of savings for someone my age. I'm very single at the minute so if you know anyone, hit me up.

Before joining Cycling Weekly I worked at The Tab, reporting about students evacuating their bowels on nightclub dancefloors and consecrating their love on lecture hall floors. I've also written for Vice, Time Out, and worked freelance for The Telegraph (I know, but I needed the money at the time so let me live).

I also worked for ITV Cycling between 2011-2018 on their Tour de France and Vuelta a España coverage. Sometimes I'd be helping the producers make the programme and other times I'd be getting the lunches. Just in case you were wondering - Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen had the same ham sandwich every day, it was great.