Dumoulin made his comeback in the peloton this year in the colours of Team Jumbo-Visma after a long period of injuries. This season, the Dutchman became seventh in the general classification of both the Tour de France and the Critérium du Dauphiné.

“Both our coaching staff and I think it is the best choice to get off the bike”, Dumoulin said. “At the start of the Vuelta I already felt tired and that feeling remained. It makes no sense for me to continue, because then I might put a strain on next season. It is not desirable to leave the Vuelta, but this is the right choice. We can all agree on that. With Primoz we are in good shape in the general classification. Hopefully the team can take home the win.”

Sportive director Merijn Zeeman sees an important pawn disappearing in Dumoulin. “It is a pity that Tom is going home. Every day we monitored his fatigue and it kept increasing. Despite this, he played an important part in the team and did a good job. Although his short participation in the Vuelta has been a good investment for 2021, we now see that we are encountering limits and we take the responsibility that comes with it.”