Abu Dhabi: Dumoulin ready to debut rainbow skinsuit on penultimate stage time trial

With all three sprint stages done and dusted, all eyes have turned toward reigning individual time trial world champion Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) for the Abu Dhabi Tour’s 12.6-kilometre penultimate stage time trial on Saturday.

He is a heavy favourite for the fourth day of the second WorldTour stage race of the season, and for good reason. The 27-year-old Dutchman is fresh off a breakout year in 2017 — a year that included not only a rainbow jersey win in Norway, but also a BinckBank Tour victory, as well as two stages, including a 39.8 ITT, at the Giro d’Italia en route to winning the general classification.

According to Dumoulin, the penultimate stage has been on his mind since late last year.

“I’m looking forward since last December to tomorrow’s time trail,” he told Eurosport prior to the Stage 3 start at Yas Island. “First time in new suit, so really excited. There is always a bit of pressure to get a good result.”

Challenging Dumoulin most notably is reigning Australian time trial champion and former ‘Hour Record’ holder Rohan Dennis (BMC Racing), who has claimed the past three national titles, and fellow Dutchman Jos van Emden (LottoNL-Jumbo), a former national champion who bested Dumoulin on the 29.3km final stage time trial at the Giro last year.

“I also hope to get a good result,” Dumoulin continued. “But I know these time trials like this, 12km flat, have not been proven [to be] my strength the last couple of years. It has been proven the strength of Rohan Dennis (BMC Racing) and Jos van Emden (LottoNL-Jumbo), so it will be very difficult to win but I will try my best.”

When asked if he felt any pressure to top last year’s success, Dumoulin claims that while he doesn’t, he is both hopeful and realistic.

Dumoulin, who is targeting another maglia rosa win in Italy and a time trial world championship in Austria, as well as his first road race title, believes he now has the confidence to attain his goals given he is at his best.

“I don’t compare myself to last year because then it all goes wrong,” he explained. “If you compare yourself everyday to last year you only get frustrated by the days you don’t feel as good — I don’t do that.

“I am confident I can do it if I am in good shape,” Dumoulon concluded. “Last year I didn’t know if I could win a Grand Tour and now I know. Now it’s up to me to prove in the next couple of years I can do it again.”

For full stage and race results, click here.