INEOS’ Arensman shows injuries after Tour de France crash; Visma | Lease a Bike also battered

The Tour de France was shaken up on Monday during the opening stage by a crash at the front of the peloton. Among those involved were Thymen Arensman (Netcompany INEOS), Bruno Armirail (Visma | Lease a Bike), and Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious), leaving them to assess the damage afterward.

Just as riders were launching attacks back and forth in the early stages of the race, it was none other than local hero Bruno Armirail who crashed near the Pyrenees. The French rider from Visma | Lease a Bike went down on the right side of the peloton, taking about ten riders with him, all of whom ultimately made it to the finish.

Netcompany INEOS, which hasn’t exactly been having the best Tour de France anyway, had three riders in the crash: Tobias Foss, Michal Kwiatkowski, and Thymen Arensman. The trio fell behind briefly, and while Foss and Kwiatkowski were brought back by the team bus, Arensman had to rely on his teammates to help him get back to the front.

While Egan Bernal was knocked out of the breakaway by a flat tire, Kévin Vauquelin, Filippo Ganna, and Joshua Tarling brought Arensman back into the peloton after a relatively long chase. On the final climb, Arensman—who hasn’t given up on the general classification just yet—stayed with the group for quite a while, and the Andorra-based climber finished 19th.

Afterward, it was time to assess the damage. Arensman posted a photo on Strava of his battered knee, which was heavily bandaged. “Not ideal,” he wrote. “But my teammates are absolute legends for bringing me back like that.”

Incidentally, Armirail is also suffering from a knee injury, just like Arensman. According to the official race report, the Frenchman is dealing with pain in his left knee and abrasions, but he made it to the finish line. Both men are hoping their injuries will heal in time for Stage 4.