Tom Dumoulin’s fourth place to tee up Koen Bouwman better than any individual win on the Giro d'Italia

There he was – arms aloft on the home straight celebrating as fine a win as you’ll see in this year’s Giro d’Italia. Days after dropping out of GC contention on Mount Etna, Tom Dumoulin bounced back in style on Friday as the architect of Jumbo-Visma’s first win on the Giro d’Italia for three years. Dropped twice in the frantic final 10km in Potenza, the rangy 31-year-old battled back on both occasions.

And helped secure an astonishing win. Not his win, mind. But a win for compatriot and teammate Koen Bouwman.

Like Dumoulin, Bouwman had to fight back from being jettisoned from the leading quartet on the final climb. He could have sat up and contented himself with the blue jersey that was already his. But he ended the day with far more than that: a maiden Grand Tour stage win – and a win that could have no end of positive reverberations for Jumbo-Visma going forward.

Ad/> Giro d’Italia Stage 7 as it happened – Jumbo-Visma masterclass as Bouwman takes win Bouwman powers to maiden Grand Tour stage win, Lopez stays in pink Giro d'Italia‘Very different’ — Lloyd sounds warning after Dumoulin backed to enjoy ‘freestyle’ roleAN HOUR AGO What a turnaround for the Dutch team that we usually associate with the myriad successes of Primoz Roglic and Wout van Aert. On Tuesday’s explosive summit finish, Dumoulin shipped seven minutes to end any realistic hopes of a high finish on his first Grand Tour since the 2020 Vuelta and his subsequent sabbatical. Jumbo-Visma’s young Norwegian star Tobias Foss conceded over two minutes to the GC favourites and Bouwman, the mountain lieutenant, a further minute.

“I worked hard to get here in the best shape possible, but I just don’t have the legs at the moment. I don’t know why. But it is like it