'Calm and in control': Arensman on form, the opening weekend and why two Tour stages changed everything around him
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Follow us on GoogleAt day one of the Giro d'Italia, all eyes will be on Jonathan Milan and the other sprinters. But fast-forward to Rome and you might see Thymen Arensman, Netcompany INEOS's classification card, in the spotlight. The two-time stage winner took a final look ahead on Wednesday at the team presentation in Bulgaria.
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"I've never been here before, so I can tick this one off the list too," Arensman says in Burgas with a grin. "Same for you, I take it?"
Not quite. The journalist in question spent a holiday in nearby Sunny Beach eight years ago — for rather different reasons than cycling. Arensman, born in 1999 and a year younger, was already on the Tour de l'Avenir podium at that moment, finishing behind a certain Tadej Pogacar.
"Nice to hear," laughs a visibly relaxed Arensman. "It is good to see other places and cultures — but ultimately as riders we don't really have a say in it. The RCS is here, I want to ride the Giro, so here I am."
Continue reading below the photo.
Thymen Arensman with fellow leader Egan Bernal at the Giro presentation.
Arensman 'calm and in control' at the Giro start
What does Arensman have to say, in his final media obligations, about his form heading into a Giro where podium possibilities have been attributed to him — by the team themselves and by outside observers alike?
"I'm in a good place. I feel calm and in control, which is very positive. Above all, I'm really looking forward to it."
"I've taken good care of myself and had a solid build-up — not too much, not too little," Arensman explains. "I can't do more than that. I try to do the right things and that brings peace of mind."
Continue reading below the photo!
Arensman with his INEOS teammates in Bulgaria.
Arensman tried to fine-tune his preparation
Last year's Giro ended in disappointment when illness derailed his race — he finished 29th — but he more than made up for it in July with two outstanding stage wins at the Tour de France. "Not that much has changed for me personally. Of course it was wonderful, but in the weeks afterwards I noticed more than anything what impact it had on the people around me."
"For me personally, nothing has really changed — I keep taking care of myself to get the most out of my body. Though it is of course brilliant to have two Tour de France stages on my palmarès," says Arensman, who has tried to fine-tune the same preparation for the 2026 Giro. "What I did for the Tour worked. And you try to implement that a little more."
"But I haven't really done things that differently," he continues. "Maybe slightly quieter than other times, but that also comes with being a year or two older and knowing your body better. That knowledge comes from the experiences you go through and feeling what has worked."
In recent editions the opening weekend has been a bottleneck for him — something the team at Netcompany INEOS have also tried to address. "It is a classic Giro parcours, so the structure isn't completely different. Above all you try to arrive at the start fresh — and I think I am. The coach has looked at that carefully, so we will see. I really like this course, with a time trial and a tough third week."
Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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