Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) struggled in his comeback this evening, as he quit one hour into a race in the Netherlands.
The Dutchman lined up in De Acht van Chaam, one of the post-Tour criteriums but pulled out saying afterwards that “I began to doubt myself and that’s not good.”
Dumoulin is aiming for gold in the Olympic Games Time-Trial in Rio, but he received a massive setback in the Tour de France last week when he crashed out on Stage 19 and was diagnosed with a fractured radius
In the criterium, Dumoulin confirmed that he felt uncomfortable with the surface which featured sections of clinkers (paving bricks).
“My return was perhaps still a bit too early,” Dumoulin told the Dutch media afterwards. “It’s not as fast as hoped. I’m not in pain, but I began to doubt and that’s not good. I don’t want to take any risks.”
The time-trial takes place on August 10 in Pontal.
