Geraint Thomas sees from new role why Thymen Arensman is so good at the Giro

Geraint Thomas has already seen plenty of new things in his first months as Race Director at Netcompany INEOS. The Welshman retired as a professional rider after 2025 and moved almost straight into a staff role with the team. At the Giro d’Italia, Thomas is now seeing up close how a team operates without being part of the peloton himself. In that respect, he is also seeing Thymen Arensman from a different angle.

After Wednesday’s eleventh stage, Thomas took plenty of time to speak with cycling journalist Daniel Benson and IDL Pro Cycling. Naturally, Arensman was the first topic of conversation. The Dutchman has emerged in this Giro as Netcompany INEOS’ main general classification leader and, after almost two weeks, is excellently placed in third overall.

“The team has surrounded him really well and Thymen is in a good place, after all the work he has done with his coach. He is in the best possible position for a good result,” Thomas observed at the team bus. How does the former Tour de France winner explain Arensman’s growth? “I think he has matured more, and he has taken confidence from 2025.”

According to Thomas, Netcompany INEOS has been working with Arensman both on and off the bike. After his two stage wins at the Tour de France in 2025, it quickly became clear that he wanted to return to the Giro with GC ambitions. He had already finished sixth twice in Italy, but in both races he had also lost some unnecessary time along the way. So, was a podium not already within reach?

In this Giro, it all appears to be clicking, and Thomas can see that too. “Thymen had a good winter and has the right mindset. He is not overthinking it and he is not paying too much attention to other people’s opinions. He is sticking to what he and the team know.” That naturally includes the media, with journalists having asked him endless questions in recent years whenever he lost time in the opening week.

This time, Arensman has kept a little more distance from mixed zones and interviews during the first ten days of the Giro. “Our press department sat down with Thymen and made a plan for how he can stay as focused as possible. Above all, he should not be distracted, and that seems to be working,” Thomas said. In that sense, he is also backing his leader away from the bike.

That does not mean Arensman dislikes interviews, but Thomas did acknowledge on Wednesday that his leader approaches them differently than he himself always did. “Everyone is different. I never really minded saying something. But less is more, sometimes. The starting point was: what is the minimum you want to do? We look at that day by day.” Or, as Thomas put it: “From our side, there is no pressure on him to do things.”

Netcompany INEOS and Arensman have so far remained fully in control. Thomas is watching approvingly from his new staff role. “I don’t only see different things with Thymen, but with the whole team. You suddenly realise that those guys are dealing with things you had no idea about as a rider. I now see a completely different side of the team and understand much better that it is all much bigger and more complicated than you sometimes think as a rider.”

In his role as Race Director, Thomas also saw the setback for Egan Bernal in the first half of the Giro. The Colombian has already lost a lot of time on important days, simply because he could not go any faster. The feeling around the climber remains good, but others were stronger in the opening stages. “Egan has nevertheless been phenomenal in this Giro, as a leader within the team,” Thomas stressed.

“I’m talking about his attitude towards the boys as well, even after a couple of lesser days. The way he talks in the bus... He has a huge influence on the team, even now that he is not the one who has to win it.” Thomas did not want to say too much yet about a possible change of role for Bernal. “I think Egan will always want to keep preparing for races as a leader, to go for the best possible result in Grand Tours.”

“I know from my own experience that if you take that away, you are never really your best self anymore. You need those goals when you have won the biggest races.”

Bram van der Ploeg ( X: @BvdPloegg | email : [email protected])