Tom Dumoulin contradicts Armstrong over the 2027 Tour de France: 'The only way to beat Pogačar'
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Follow us on GoogleThe 2027 Tour de France route has had former pros arguing for days, and the time trials are at the centre of it. Last week Lance Armstrong admitted that more time trial kilometres favour Remco Evenepoel on paper, then said that theory never works against Tadej Pogačar. Tom Dumoulin thinks the opposite.
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Dumoulin is a former world time trial champion and finished second at the 2018 Tour de France. He gave his view on the route to Dutch broadcaster NOS reports. He kept the main point short: "The only way to beat Pogačar is through time trial kilometres."
Read more below the photo!
Can Pogačar be beaten at the Tour de France by Evenpoel?
Dumoulin: 'Would certainly make my heart beat faster'
The route has two individual time trials: a 38-kilometre route from Blois to Chambord in stage 7 and a 33-kilometre course around Toulouse in stage 16, for a combined total of 71 kilometres.
Dumoulin says that is what stands out most about the 2027 route.
What hadn't been revealed yet was that this Tour includes a massive number of time-trial kilometres. That is, without a doubt, the most striking feature of this route, especially considering the trend we’ve seen in recent years, where Grand Tour courses have featured very few time-trial kilometres.- Tom Dumoulin to NOS (translated from Dutch)
He knows the old style of Tour well. According to Cyclingnews, his debut participation in 2013 featured the longest distance raced against the clock (90km) prior to next year's 71km.
He finished in second place in 2018, behind overall winner Geraint Thomas. That year's Tour had 66.5 km of time trials.
"Around 70 kilometres of time trials would certainly make my heart beat faster. And I think it would do the same for Remco Evenepoel," Dumoulin said.
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Tom Dumoulin won the Giro d'Italia in 2017
Dumoulin against Armstrong: a route to break UAE's grip
That puts him directly at odds with Armstrong. On his THEMOVE podcast, the American called Pogačar a five-star favourite and said the Tour was "Tadej's race to lose".
Dumoulin sees it differently. In his view, the parcours appears designed to break the dominance of Tadej Pogačar and UAE Team Emirates. "In the last Tour, the outcome was effectively decided quite early on," Dumoulin said.
The 2026 Tour shows what the time trials can do, and what they can't. In the race's only individual time trial, Evenepoel won the 16th stage of the Tour de France to shave 28 seconds off Tadej Pogačar's commanding lead over 26.1 km. Over 71 km, that kind of gap starts to add up.
Tour director Christian Prudhomme brought up 2012 to explain the change. "The 2012 Tour was won by Bradley Wiggins," Tour director Christian Prudhomme recalls in a conversation with Sporza, the Belgian public broadcaster's sports brand.
"But in recent years, the best climbers were also the riders who gained time on their rivals in the time trials." He still rejected the idea that the route targets the champion. "This isn't an anti-Pogacar strategy," Prudhomme said after the route presentation.
Izagirre has nothing but praise for Pogacar.
Dumoulin welcomes the British Grand Départ
Armstrong worried about wind and rain in the UK. Dumoulin had only good memories of starting the Tour there.
I personally think it's great that they're starting in Great Britain. I started there myself back in 2014. So, it's wonderful that they're heading back there.- Tom Dumoulin to NOS (translated from Dutch, via Cyclingnews)
Two former Tour de France podium finishers disagree about the same 71 kilometres. If we can agree on anything, it's that even the chance to hypothesis over who might win the 2027 Tour de France is a good thing.
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David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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