Tom Dumoulin in the staffer’s seat? Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert wants it that way
Ambitious Belgian outfit keen to tap Dumoulin for time trial and tech expertise as it looks to keep punching above its weightclass in 2023.
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Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert is looking to tap the TT talents of Tom Dumoulin next season.
Top brass at the ambitious Belgian team are hoping to bring Dumoulin on board in 2023 to boost the time trialing expertise of riders like Biniam Girmay, Louis Meintjes and Taco van der Hoorn.
“We can still make progress in time trials. We are working with our bicycle supplier Cube to improve a number of components. That doesn’t just require resources. You also need manpower for that,” Intermarché performance chief Aike Visbeek told Het Nieuwsblad.
Dumoulin confirmed this year that 2022 would be his last in the peloton, but left the door ajar for future work in cycling.
“I choose to quit my active cycling instead and to take a new and unknown path,” he said in June.
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Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert is hoping the former Giro d’Italia champion and time trial world champ will bring added savvy to its “giant-killer” crew.
Visbeek was a cornerstone of Dumoulin’s Giro triumph when he worked with Sunweb in 2017 and is looking to leverage the relationship to draw the Dutch ace to his new employer.
“Someone who can take us to the next level is Tom Dumoulin,” Visbeek said. “He can expect a call from me. If he likes to lend us a hand, we would be very happy to engage him.”
Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert has been active in the revolving door of the transfer season.
Alexander Kristoff and Jan Hirt are on the way out, while Dumoulin’s Jumbo-Visma teammate Mike Teunissen and former world champ Rui Costa are among those on the way in.
