In the latest episode of the Cyclingnews podcast, we focus on Tom Dumoulin’s decision to step away from the sport with immediate effect, and we have some wonderful new theme tunes sent in by you, our incredible listeners.

We also hear from Bob Jungels, Allan Peiper, and Simon Yates about their 2021 plans but our main focus surrounds the shock news that Dumoulin has decided to take a break from professional cycling. The news came out on Saturday morning, just 24 hours after the 30-year-old had been announced as a co-leader for the Tour de France. 

"I took the decision yesterday. And the team supports me in it, and it feels really good. It is really as if a backpack of a hundred kilos has slipped off my shoulders. I immediately woke up happy," Dumoulin said in a statement released by his team. 

"It feels so good that I finally took the decision to take some time for myself. That says enough. I have been feeling for quite a while that it is very difficult for me to know how to find my way as Tom Dumoulin the cyclist - with the pressure that comes with it, with the expectations of different parties."

We talk about Dumoulin’s brave choice to take time away from the limelight, and why the sport can be demanding in so many other ways other than just the physical. 

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