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Tom Dumoulin becomes first Dutch winner of Giro d'Italia

Team Sunweb rider overturns 53-second deficit to Nairo Quintana in final day's individual time trial to win 100th edition...

Tom Dumoulin of Team Sunweb has become the first Dutch rider to win the Giro d'Italia, overturning a 53-second deficit to Movistar's Nairo Quintana to take the 100th edition of the race.

On a day of celebration for the Netherlands, only fellow Dutchman Jos van Emden of LottoNL-Jumbo was able to go faster than Dumoulin, his time of 33 minutes 8 seconds securing the win in the 21st and final stage, a 29.3 -ilometre individual time trial from Monza to Milan.

At the second time check, taken after 17.4 kilometres at Sesto San Giovanni, Quintana had lost a minute dead to Dumoulin, who now had a narrow lead on the road despite having begun the day in fourth position overall.

As the Colombian passed under the flamme rouge to enter the final kilometre,  Dumoulin knew that victory was his, television pictures showing him breaking out in a huge smile.

Tom Dumoulin realises he has won the 100th Giro d'Italia  (picture credit  LaPresse - D'Alberto - Ferrari - Paolone - Spada).jpg

He had finished 15 seconds down on van Emden today, with BMC Racing's Manuel Quinziato third.

The Dutch rider's margin of victory at the end of the three-week race was 31 seconds, with Bahrain-Merida's Vincenzo Nibali a further nine seconds back to complete the podium in third place.

“It's really crazy," he said afterwards. "I've won the Giro! It was such a nerve wrecking day.

"I needed to stay calm and I almost couldn't. Luckily I had good legs and I just went for it.

I didn't want to know the time splits. My sport director was only supposed to tell me when to stop taking risks and he did it at half way already.

"When I crossed the line he told me I had won but when I looked at the TV screen I saw I only had three seconds lead and I panicked a bit."

He added: "I was angry but eventually I pulled it off and I'm super happy.”

Jos van Emden wins final stage of 100th Giro d'Italia (picture credit  LaPresse - D'Alberto - Ferrari - Paolone - Spada).jpg

Stage winner van Emden said: “It's unbelievable. I'm so happy and so emotional.

"I've come second in time trials too many times. This is the greatness of cycling. Finally I've won and it's a big one.

"There are two really happy people here from the Netherlands.

"Yesterday I sent a message to Tom Dumoulin with the maglia rosa and he replied he'd hope we'd both be celebrating today and we are.”

Team Sky's Mikel Landa and Fernando Gaviria of Quick Step Floors completed the final stage to confirm their respective victories in the mountains and points classifications.

Orica-Scott's Adam Yates had begun the day in the white jersey of best young rider with a lead of 28 seconds over Bob Jungels of Quick Step Floors.

But as expected, the reigning Luxembourgish national time trial champion proved too strong for the Briton as he won the prize for the second year running.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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16 comments

Avatar
s_lim | 6 years ago
2 likes

Tom Dumoulin was a worthy winner. I don't think I've ever been so pleased for a Tour Winner. 

We were talking about the 3rd week on the club run yesterday; it would seem that things have got a lot cleaner; no heroics on the mountains, no big powerful, dominating performances, and nobody able to ride away with ease. It's good to see a powerful all-rounder winning. 

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700c | 6 years ago
2 likes

so pleased the best man won 

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TypeVertigo | 6 years ago
2 likes

I bet this makes up for his 2015 disappointment - that was the first time I saw Dumoulin play GC dark horse contender. Unfortunately he didn't have the team support and had to fight alone until he cracked in the last few stages.

Since then, he was a favorite of mine and I am happy for him winning this time 'round.

Chapeau, Tom. Always nice to see a new legend.

Avatar
DaveE128 replied to TypeVertigo | 6 years ago
2 likes

Yeah, me too - chuffed to see him win as I've been a bit of a fan since the 2015 Vuelta.

TypeVertigo wrote:

I bet this makes up for his 2015 disappointment - that was the first time I saw Dumoulin play GC dark horse contender. Unfortunately he didn't have the team support and had to fight alone until he cracked in the last few stages.

Since then, he was a favorite of mine and I am happy for him winning this time 'round.

Chapeau, Tom. Always nice to see a new legend.

Avatar
Butty | 6 years ago
2 likes

Wow! The last TT I found entertaining live on TV was watching Lemond & Fignon going down to the wire.

Yesterdays was just as nailbiting until Nairo hitting  1km to go.

Well done Tom and Sunweb!

Also congrats to Van Emden. He was just totally overwhelmed by finally getting a GT stage win and also having his fellow Netherlander win the Giro. 

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CXR94Di2 | 6 years ago
4 likes

TD is a well received popular winner. The grand tours always seem a little biased to climbers. This Giro, created alot of competition because TD took a big unexpected lead in the first TT, then climbers teams to disregard time honoured etiquette of respecting the Lead Jersey to claw back time

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ktache | 6 years ago
2 likes

I have been enjoying the highlights on Quest.

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kitkat | 6 years ago
2 likes

Pleased to see Tommy Dumoulin with and for the race to go to the last stage

Shame Pinot couldn't have bumped Nibbles to 3rd & good show by Yates , it would have been interesting to see where he could have got to with out that spill - and then Landa & Thomas were also in good form... same again next year please!

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Johnnystorm | 6 years ago
2 likes

Cracking last stage, echo a lot of the above. The best man won.  1

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Yorkshire wallet | 6 years ago
4 likes

What a grand tour! Really nail-biting stuff in the last days!

I'm happy to think that the 'right' man won that, especially after the natural break gamesmanship. Amazing that TD hung on through those last mountain stages and even more amazing the Quintana and Nibali didn't seem to have the will or the planning to really play to their strengths. 

Good to see another stage winner really showing their emotions as well. 

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kil0ran | 6 years ago
0 likes

Misse the live coverage, what happened to Pinot? Slower than Quintana? Odd.

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hsiaolc | 6 years ago
3 likes

Great win TD.
My new favourite.
I was at Rapha London Club house and there was so much cheering for TD. Just shows how much fans he gained in this tour.
I've found two more I more than dislike.

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JRM NZ | 6 years ago
3 likes

What a fantastic tour!!!  Great effort from a great rider.  From what I've seen Team Sunweb absolutely rode themselves into the ground to defend their team leader as well as they possibly could.  Considering they lost Kelderman way back in stage nine, they managed to just hang in close enough for the TT speed to prove it's worth.  Next year in Paris will be very interesting...

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Posh74 | 6 years ago
4 likes

Fully deserved victory, great performance especially after the tough mountain stages this week and the toilet-gate incident!!

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Grahamd | 6 years ago
2 likes

Great win, am sure he will show his appreciation for the guys who worked with him on yesterdays decisive day.

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Swiss | 6 years ago
11 likes

Best man won in the end

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