Tour de France 2018: Tom Dumoulin thanks Spanish seamstress and praises Geraint Thomas's 'perfect race'
The Dutch rider went on to win the stage, wearing the colours of the world champion on a jersey made specially on Saturday morning
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Your support makes all the difference.Tom Dumoulin thanked a retired Spanish seamstress after she came to the rescue by making him a new skin suit on the morning of the stage 20 time trial, once he realised his had been misplaced.
The Dutch rider went on to win the stage, wearing the colours of the world champion on a jersey made specially on Saturday morning in San Sebastian in Spain and driven 45km to his Team Sunweb for the start in Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle.
“It was a stressful morning for me and everyone,” Dumoulin said afterwards. “I was utterly pissed. I really have to thank the manufacturer. They called up a retired seamstress, she made a complete new suit this morning. They had nothing in the office, they were all on holiday, and they drove it here.”
Dumoulin will finish second overall and said he had no regrets about being unable to overhaul the eventual winner, Geraint Thomas, who rode “a perfect race”.
“It’s not frustrating,” Dumoulin said. “I’m really happy with my second place. If somebody were to tell me after the Giro I would be second and win a stage, I would have signed for it for sure. I have so much respect for Geraint Thomas, he rode a perfect race. He was in the shape of his life, he made no mistakes, he was not put in trouble by anyone at any stage. I only have big respect so huge congrats.”
Team Sky once again dominated a grand tour, controlling much of the action in the peloton, but Dumoulin dismissed the notion that he might have won had the teams been more even.
“Of course they have more money to spend it makes life easier, the question is are they happier?” he joked. “This Tour it didn’t really make a difference. Of course we couldn’t control the race like Sky, they have the strongest guy in the bunch. It’s too easy to say that Geraint Thomas had a big advantage with his team. He was the strongest rider.”
Dumoulin said he is likely to focus solely on the Tour next year, having doubled up with the Giro this year, which he won in 2017. But the time trial specialist will wait to assess the route before making a decision.
“I’m only 27 years old so I’m too young to do two grand tours every year. Probably I will do one next year. The last two years my biggest focus has been on the Giro, so it’s logical to go to the Tour, but it depends on the parcours.”
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