Tom Dumoulin misses Vuelta to focus on World Championships

In a post on his Facebook page, Dumoulin explained that he would be skipping the Vuelta:

"These months I will primarily focus on the World Championships in Bergen. Especially on the individual TT, but I hope to do well on the TTT and the road race as well. And as you may have noticed at my calendar, no Vuelta!

"Surprising maybe, that's why I would like to explain shortly. I'm in love with the race. I pretty much had my breakthrough Grand Tour there in 2015 and I love the tranquility of the race, yet the passionate fans at the same time.

"It was also on my mind and the team's to go there to help Wilco fight for GC and to hunt for stages myself and prepare for the Worlds at the same time."

And Dumoulin went on to explain that winning the Giro changed his approach to the rest of the season, giving him concerns that he may not be able to manage mentally and physically with so many demands:

"But then winning the Giro happened... Very cool, but crazy times followed and after my holiday in the beginning of July me and the team started to doubt if I physically and mentally had it in me to do a super busy program and a second Grand Tour (altitude camp, San Sebastian, Eneco, Vuelta) and to be at my best shape at the Worlds after that."

"With doing the Vuelta there would be quite the chance that it would all prove to be too much for me and that I would not be good enough in the Vuelta, bad at the Worlds following and then to go into the winter with a bad feeling," Dumoulin added. "What a shame that would be after such a year for me and the team!"

"So, we chose the 'safer' approach to the Worlds and the last part of the season by doing the Canadian one-day races. I did them in 2014 and ended up 2nd and 6th so I'm also really looking forward to those super cool races!

"In topsport nothing's certain and topshape doesn't always come when you want it, so also this program unfortunately doesn't guarantee the legs of my life at the right moment, but I will do my very best to work hard and then we'll see at the Worlds!"