Blown up and dropped, but Arensman came back to life as INEOS watches Bernal fly: “I’ve got nothing to lose”

When the peloton hit the Alpe San Pellegrino, everything seemed under control at first. That changed three kilometers from the top when Egan Bernal got out of the saddle and launched an attack. Race leader Isaac Del Toro and second-placed Juan Ayuso immediately jumped on his wheel, but further back, Adam Yates (UAE) and Thymen Arensman were dropped. “I felt really, really bad. I already knew it when I woke up,” Arensman told Eurosport. “Mostly because of the time trial, but also because it was super humid.”

“I felt completely bloated, just bad overall. But Egan still wanted to go for it,” he added. Sports director Zak Dempster confirmed the move at the team buses. “There were some question marks around him after the crash. Everyone saw how hard he went down. But Egan was motivated and felt good, so he gave it a shot. He’ll take confidence from that, even if it didn’t lead to a result. It was a way to test if anyone was on a bad day in those last steep three kilometers.”

It gave the team some insight, even though Bernal soon backed off. According to Dempster, that had nothing to do with Arensman being dropped. “It was just about reading the race. When the move didn’t stick, Ciccone tried something and then UAE took control again, so it all reset. There was no point in pushing on with five of our guys still in that lead group. We knew teams would come chasing for the stage win, and that’s exactly what happened.”

Thymen Arensman quickly realized the pace among the GC contenders was inconsistent, constantly surging and slowing. He eventually made his way back. “I thought, the finish is still far off. Even if I get dropped, it’s a good opener for the body. I trusted I could ride back and just kept pacing myself. In the final I actually felt really good again. A time trial is always a special kind of day and I felt terrible at the start, but the climbing brought me back into it.”

“It was a very aggressive start to the stage and Thymen felt a bit blocked,” Dempster noted. “The humidity was high too, so he managed his effort.” The final climb ended up giving Arensman a boost of confidence. “I felt really good, especially when Carapaz attacked on that last climb. It wasn’t too steep, which suits me better. I got stronger as the day went on, and that gives me confidence.”

INEOS handed credit to Carapaz for his bold attack, noting that UAE had clearly turned the stage into a GC battle. But internally, the British team was especially pleased with Bernal’s performance after his crash in the time trial. “Time trial bikes are a challenge for Egan, given the long-term physical issues he’s still managing,” Dempster explained. “It’s a process, and he was frustrated. For the first time since the Colombian Nationals, he finally felt the aggression and power to attack a time trial again, and that’s when he crashed. That stung.”

With Arensman in tenth place at 2:33 behind Del Toro and Bernal just behind in eleventh at 2:39, INEOS still has everything to race for heading into the final week of the Giro. “We hope the third week will be his best,” said sports director Zak Dempster about Bernal. And on Arensman: “Thymen has never had a bad third week in a Grand Tour.” Before stage 11, Bernal had already spoken to this website with clear intent: “The plan is definitely to open up this race. I’ve got nothing to lose.”

His performance in the time trial, despite crashing, was another sign that Bernal’s form is trending in the right direction. “I looked at the time checks and it’s clear I lost most of the time after the crash. Before that, I was feeling super. After the fall, I couldn’t find the same rhythm. I was a bit stiff and hesitant in the corners, but on the straights I could still push with power.”

“That feeling, that power I had, that’s what I want to carry forward,” said the Colombian, who won the Giro in 2021 and is now racing with full intent. “I also had no back pain on the TT bike, which is a big deal for me. Whether I win this Giro, make the podium or just finish in the top ten, it’s all good for me. I’m here to attack and do something special for the fans. Of course I’m still chasing the GC. I’m in eleventh, but I’d be saying the same thing if I were in twentieth. Anything can still happen.”

Bram van der Ploeg (Twitter: @BvdPloegg | e-mail: [email protected])