Last year's podium finisher Steven Kruijswijk, who missed this year's Tour de France due to a late injury, has been watching the race unfold and although he is pleased with the Jumbo Visma team's race lead, Tom Dumoulin's decision to sacrifice his chances He believes that there was no need for Tom Dumoulin to sacrifice his own chances.

On stage 8 of the race, Dumoulin controlled the yellow jersey group and set an incredible pace on the Peyresourde pass. His effort blew the race away, but also ensured a time loss. The move showed great sacrifice and dedication to the team's cause, but also eliminated the former Giro d'Italia champion from GC contention.

Dumoulin was again used as a superdomestique on stage 9 and again lost time. Entering the first rest day, Dumoulin was in 14th place, 3:22 behind Primoz Roglic in the yellow jersey.

"Tom dropping out of GC contention may be a bit of a setback for the team, but Primoz showed his strength," said Dumoulin. [So if he says he didn't feel his best all week or didn't have the confidence to be in the best group, that's his choice."

"Maybe it wasn't the best choice after that, maybe it would have been wiser to wait for the weekend and see how far he could have gone instead of sacrificing himself with a big pull that would blow the field away. Perhaps it would have been better to wait and see how far he could have gone. Perhaps if he had lost even a minute over the weekend, he might have had some cards to play afterwards. Maybe it was a split-second decision, maybe it was a lack of confidence in himself now after such a long race, but from what I read from the team, that was clearly not the plan. But from what I read from the team, it clearly wasn't planned that way.

"I don't think it was necessary. I wouldn't say it was a mistake. There was no need to do that at that point, early in the Tour de France. He is a big rider and he can run at the top level for three weeks. It might be too soon to sacrifice himself and put it aside."

Overall, however, Kruijswijk was impressed with the way Jumbo Visma raced. They are aggressive at times and already have three stage wins to their credit. Perhaps not as dominant as they were in the Criterium du Dauphiné, but still making up the numbers on the climbs, Wout van Aert has arguably the most complete riders in the race.

Roglic has a 21-second lead over last year's winner Egan Bernal after nine days of racing, but it is Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) who looks the most dangerous threat. He won stage 9 with a thrilling sprint finish and would have led the race at that point had it not been for a time loss due to a crosswind on stage 7.

"Obviously it's Pogacar," Kruijswijk replied when asked who was the biggest threat to Jumbo.

"With Saturday's attack and yesterday's attack, he's really strong. He obviously has presence and he's not afraid to attack and play the cards. He's young and ambitious and will be a tough opponent for the team, but as long as Primosch follows him, I think we can beat him."

"Jumbo-Visma showed a real sense of responsibility for the race right from the start and really demonstrated their ambition. So far they have been at the front, saving their energy at the right moments, but also spending it when it should be spent. Winning the jersey Sunday was a really strong team performance.

But for Kruijswijk, it was hard to watch from afar. He was supposed to be part of a three-pronged attack in the Tour, but was replaced at the last minute when injuries sustained in a crash at the Dauphiné were too slow to heal.

"It's really nice to see how the team is doing and that they are doing well, but at the same time it's a big disappointment not to be there as part of the team. Especially the last two days in the Pyrenees. It's hard to sit at home and not be able to test yourself in the biggest race of the year, especially the last two days in the Pyrenees. It's hard to sit at home and not test yourself in the biggest race of the year, especially with the ambitions we had.

The 33-year-old will now turn his attention to the Giro d'Italia, which begins later this month. Kruijswijk has a long history with the race, with a best finish of fourth in the 2016 race. He was the strongest rider in that year's race until a late-season crash robbed him of a chance to finish, but three weeks of consistent riding and a route suited to him will make him a legitimate contender for the Maria Rosa heading into Italy if he can get back into form.

"I'm not fully recovered yet. I got back on the bike last week and felt okay. My shoulder still hurts and I have a little fracture, so I have to be careful how I move on the road. But I can ride my bike and hopefully it will improve over the next few weeks. Luckily, it won't require surgery and is expected to heal itself.

"I know I will be in the Tour in two days, but I am happy to get my focus back on the Giro. Missing the Tour was a big disappointment, but I had time to relax and get my mind right. My next goal is the Giro and that is what I am focusing all my energy on right now. Like every year, the Giro is one of the toughest races. I am happy to focus on the Giro and I am highly motivated to get something out of this season. The Giro is a great opportunity, but I need to see how fit I am at the start. Of course, I'm going for the GC."