'Coach has looked at that carefully': INEOS's Thymen Arensman begins Giro d'Italia 'calm and in control'

At 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.

"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."

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."

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."