"I'm looking forward to contributing to that goal, winning a grand tour", says Dumoulin, who was on the highest step of the podium in the Giro before. "I was looking for a new sporting challenge and Team Jumbo-Visma is the right team for this. I'm looking forward to it. I started my cycling career with the Rabobank Continental team, a predecessor of the current Team Jumbo-Visma. That's why this step feels a bit like coming home. It's nice to represent the colours of the Dutch team."

Team Jumbo-Visma has the ambition to structurally compete for the final victory in grand tours. CEO Richard Plugge sees the realisation of that ambition coming closer with this spectacular reinforcement. "You'd better race with each other than against each other", he refers to the fights that Dumoulin fought with Primoz Roglic and Steven Kruijswijk, for example. "We can now put together the strongest possible team in the fight against a team like Ineos. Making our dreams and ambitions come true is getting closer and closer."

Since 2013, Plugge has been working steadily to achieve his goals and considers signing the 28-year-old Dutch GC contender and time trialist a striking next step. "We have grown step by step and always want to improve. Taking part in the final victory in grand tours has always been a goal and a plan. This is warmly supported by Jumbo and Visma and our other partners. We will continue to work together on this. In this case by making the arrival of Tom possible."

In sports director Merijn Zeeman, Dumoulin meets an old acquaintance at Team Jumbo-Visma. "As a neo professional, we worked together. That was very pleasant and I liked it very much. After that we always kept in touch", the rider from the Dutch province of Limburg concludes.