“Just bad luck, but I’m happy,” concludes Thymen Arensman after first 2026 climbing test

INEOS travelled to Portugal with an eye-catching line-up: alongside Arensman, new signings Kévin Vauquelin and Oscar Onley joined forces with powerhouse riders Filippo Ganna, Kim Heiduk and Bob Jungels, while Laurens De Plus completed the squad.

Onley was the standout on the results sheet, finishing an impressive fourth. “It went well, but unfortunately one of the UAE riders crashed right in front of me, so I lost a bit of ground when the leaders attacked,” the Brit explained afterwards. “From that point I just rode my own tempo back up towards the front group, but I don’t think it changed the result.”

“It was really fun riding with the guys,” added the INEOS newcomer. “I’ve always seen how the team approaches racing and it was nice to be part of that today — just staying safe and riding in a good position. Days like this are important for us as GC riders to learn how we ride and how we can work best together, so I think we did really well for our first time together.”

With Onley (4th), Vauquelin (9th) and Arensman (13th), INEOS had three riders in the mix on the first summit finish — but Arensman suggested there may have been more on the table for him.

“Stage 2 in the books,” before explaining what happened in the finale: “I had a bit of bad luck being caught behind a crash with 3.5 kilometres to go, just at the moment the leaders attacked.” Arensman was referring to the incident involving Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) as the road pitched up on the steepest section of the Fóia.

The interruption briefly broke his rhythm, but the Dutchman remained positive about where he stands early in the season. “I could always keep them in sight and I’m happy with the feeling and my form,” he said. Friday offers a new opportunity with the individual time trial still to come in the Algarve. “It was just bad luck. Now it’s the time trial — all to play for with a strong team.”