Sam Oomen: Life starts at the end of your comfort zone

Sam Oomen fully understands why Jumbo-Visma declined to offer him a contract extension, and the Dutch climber is ready to improve and become a super domestique at Lidl-Trek.

The 28-year-old spent three successful seasons at Jumbo-Visma, helping the team to several Grand Tour wins, including the Giro d’Italia in 2023.

However a lack of opportunities, coupled with the fact that the team have recruited several younger riders for the future, meant that Oomen was required to find a new squad. He has no hard feelings over the matter, telling GCN that he recognises why he needed look elsewhere for a ride, and that he’s relishing the chance to ride for the American squad for the next three years.

“Both Jumbo and I thought that at this point, and at this moment in my career, it was a good time to leave because Jumbo was and is a team of such champions, and to be honest I was a decent rider but not an exceptional one,” a modest Oomen told GCN at Lidl-Trek’s recent training camp in Calpe, Spain.

“I was a normal domestique, and I’ve made the comparison with football, that if I was at the biggest club in the world, Manchester City or Barcelona, for example, then I’d be sitting on their bench. Sometimes I was needed in the second half, and I’d come on and not being outstanding but not make any mistakes either. Now I’ve moved to, let's say Ajax, and hopefully, I can have a few more minutes and hopefully have a goal or two and set up some assists. There are more opportunities for me at Lidl-Trek,” he added.

Read more: Lidl-Trek Team Talk: Consistency was rewarded but is there more to come?

A move to Lild-Trek certainly appeased Oomen in his search for a new contract. The team have an enhanced budget thanks to the investment from Lidl, and have signed key riders, such as Tao Geoghegan Hart for the Grand Tours. The American team head into 2024 with huge ambitions and Oomen is excited to be a part of something special, and on a team where he could enjoy a more enhanced role.

“I’ve had harder decisions to make so once this offer came I was pretty sure about it. I had some nice talks here and there but this move felt immediately right. I could feel that the team had the right fundamentals, from the riders and the staff. It’s a good sign when several riders have stayed here for multiple years,” he said.

Oomen’s complete race calendar for 2024 has yet to be confirmed but it’s likely that he will start his campaign with a blend of weeklong stage races, kicking off with the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana in February. Now that he’s higher up the pecking order at Lidl-Trek he will race alongside Geoghegan Hart and Giulio Ciccone, with the aim of being their last man in a number of key events. For a rider who can count a top-ten overall in a Grand to his name, Oomen is relishing the chance to make the next step in his career.

“I still think that I can improve though and, I think that I can have an important role here. We have big captains in Tao Geoghegan Hart and Mads Pedersen but if I can have a role to support them into the finals of big races that would be super special. I want those opportunities. So it’s maybe more of a super domestique role than a domestique role like I had before. I want to be in finals and play the games,” he told GCN.

A spot on the Tour de France team is another major ambition for the humble and likeable Oomen.

“When I was at Sunweb there were two or three consecutive years when I was supposed to ride the Tour de France but things changed and I missed out. In terms of big Grand Tours, riding the Tour de France would fulfil a childhood dream for me. It’s something I’d love to be part of and play a role in. I only want to go if I have the right to be there, with the right legs and the right role. I’m a bit out of my comfort zone here at camp, with so many new faces but that’s where life starts - at the end of your comfort zone.”