Dumoulin stays with Sunweb for the long haul

Newly crowned Giro d’Italia champion Tom Dumoulin announced Tuesday that he will extend his contract with team Sunweb until 2022.

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“I am really happy in the team so renewing my contract comes as a natural decision to me,” said the Dutchman.

Dumoulin, 26, became the first cyclist from the Netherlands to win the Giro. He had strong performances in the race’s two time trials. Also, he rode admirably in the high mountains, despite his pedigree as a pure time trialist. He fended off attacks from Nairo Quintana (Movistar), who ended up second overall, and Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida), who finished third.

He has won stages in all three grand tours: three in the Giro, two in the Tour de France, and two at the Vuelta a Espana. Plus, Dumoulin won a silver medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016, behind Fabian Cancellara.

“Tom has been with the team for six years and belongs to our group of core riders,” said Sunweb CEO Iwan Spekenbrink. “Together we have already had many successes and we are extremely pleased to extend his contract so that we may continue to have many more together.”

For his part, Dumoulin agrees that he is a good fit for the Dutch team. He essentially started his pro career here after a year with the Rabobank development squad. “The philosophy of the team suits me really well, although demanding I know it continues to develop me as a rider and together we make each other stronger,” he added.

“Every year we’ve made huge progression and continue to make steps to find ways to improve as a result of the teams expertise. I have grown alongside the team for the past six years and I am confident that we will continue this upwards process for the coming years.”