Eurosport analysts see opportunities for INEOS and Arensman, but also warn of the 'biggest surprise'

Thymen Arensman in sixth place and Egan Bernal in fifteenth: that is how Netcompany INEOS head into the second week of the Giro d'Italia. The question now is how the British squad will approach their race strategy going forward. Ex-riders Erik Breukink and Bobbie Traksel dive into exactly that in the latest episode of Eurosport's Kop over Kop podcast.

Bernal ran into difficulties earlier in this Giro, but Arensman has held his own impressively. The Dutchman finished tenth on Blockhaus and came home fourth on Sunday's stage nine — leaving the Dutch climber sixth overall, 2 minutes and 26 seconds behind second-placed Jonas Vingegaard.

Breukink was encouraged by what he saw from Arensman on Sunday. "He's come through the first week very well. You usually see him come back into it from further back in a Grand Tour later in the race — his famous third week. If he's at his best then, he can certainly challenge for the podium."

That said, the former pro rider knows there is still work to do. "We still have some uphill finishes to come. You hope he finds another level by then." That could set up a real podium battle — one in which Felix Gall looks well-placed. But Breukink flags a concern: "Will he be able to sustain that for three weeks? On the climbs he's right up there with Vingegaard. That was, for me, the biggest surprise."

Tuesday's time trial immediately brings a crucial day in the fight for the podium. "We rate Arensman as a much stronger time triallist than Gall, but Gall lost just over 30 seconds in last year's Tour time trial — that was over 33 kilometres," Traksel warns. "I genuinely thought: two minutes, that would be easy to gain there. But he really is a good rider."

"Especially in this form," Breukink agrees. "He might even surprise us on what's supposed to be his weakest discipline." Traksel adds: "He did lose quite a bit of time in that time trial, but Arensman's ride there wasn't exactly world-class either. Maybe they've both worked on it since — you never know. We'll have to wait and see. A time trial doesn't lie."

INEOS head into the second week with two riders in the top fifteen. "You can have different views on having two riders fighting it out. Personally, I like it when there's a clear leader. So that when things get messy, Bernal is the one solving Arensman's problems — not the other way around. I think that's the better way to go," Traksel says.

He points to stage seven on the Blockhaus climb as an illustration. "Bernal got dropped a bit there. I know Arensman might find it harder to carry all the pressure on his own shoulders. I'll admit I'm not 100% certain about that, because Arensman is a tough competitor. There are arguments on both sides."

Breukink, meanwhile, feels INEOS haven't had to show their hand too much yet. "So far, they haven't had to play many cards. They don't have the pink jersey and they're not getting in each other's way. Bernal isn't there to do the dirty work — if he were, he'd be dropped and Arensman would be riding alone."

Traksel actually sees an upside for Bernal's position. "He's currently 1 minute 49 seconds behind Arensman. I always feel that the rider sitting behind his teammate in the GC can actually get more out of that situation. Because other teams let him go and put him under pressure, and he ends up passing the first one. It never works the other way round."

Breukink sees that dynamic as one of INEOS's real advantages. "They don't have the outright favourite for the win. But they do like racing this way — putting Bernal in a breakaway at the right moment. They have genuine confidence in Arensman too. There was a lot of praise for him at last year's Tour."

And Bobbie's final word? "We Dutch fans are absolutely allowed to keep dreaming of a podium here."