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Follow us on GoogleAs one of the few teams to come through stage 2 of the Giro d'Italia unscathed, Netcompany INEOS had good reason to feel relieved. The British squad had positioned themselves on the right-hand side of the road and avoided the carnage when a large portion of the peloton went down on the left side 23 kilometres from the finish in Veliko Tarnovo. Thymen Arensman lost no time and spoke to IDL Pro Cycling among others afterwards.
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At Netcompany INEOS, it was Filippo Ganna who led the train on the right as bikes and riders clattered down on the other side of the road.
"If it's scary to watch on TV, just imagine what it's like when you're in the middle of it," Arensman began. "We were lucky and we were on the right side — but it could just as easily have been the other way round."
Continue reading below the video.
Arensman had no time to take it in
"There was sand all over the road — but you get that in southern Italy too. We'd been talking about it — me, teammate Magnus Sheffield and sports director Geraint Thomas — and we said to each other: I never want to hear that sound again. God..." The Dutchman visibly shuddered as he spoke at the team bus.
After a brief neutralisation, racing simply had to continue. "They were talking about waiting for an ambulance, and honestly those are pretty strange scenes in this sport. Then suddenly the car drives off again and you just have to race," Arensman reflected.
There is no time to stop and process it. "This is such a brutal sport. If you're still sitting on your bike shaking afterwards, you'll find yourself at the back before you know it and your race is over. Then you can forget about your GC ambitions too. It is what it is — you just have to keep going."
Continue reading below the photo!
Thymen Arensman is 4th in the standings as he picked up bonifications.
Arensman solid on the final climb
On the final climb Arensman lost no time to his rivals, leaving him well-placed after two days. "I tried to ride as hard as I could up the climb and it went well. I did lose a few positions near the bottom when I got out of the saddle on a bend. When Jonas attacked I was a bit too far back. But I survived it well, I think," said the Dutchman, who like co-leader Egan Bernal also picked up bonus seconds and now sits fourth overall.
What follows after 221 kilometres through Bulgarian rain? The part no one sees. After the stage, Arensman and his teammates had to quickly spin down, pack their things and endure a three-hour transfer to the next hotel. "There's basically no time for a massage."
Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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Latest Comments
- One Lombardia doesn’t tell us how Seixas will handle a full Grand Tour. I’d rather see him develop steadily than have every result turned into a Pogačar comparison.samanthak12-11-2026
- Pogacar is 30 already? I thought he was younger. If he keeps winning like this, how long can he realistically ride at the top?jeremya12-11-2026
- Interesting that Thomas made the comparison while speaking to Rowe, given Decathlon’s hopes of keeping Seixas and the reports linking INEOS with him. Praise, or a subtle message to a potential signing?gearguru3312-11-2026
- Seixas winning Il Lombardia at this age is a huge statement. The Pogačar comparisons are inevitable, but Thomas is right to leave room for both of them to keep improving—Pog is still setting the bar.robert6512-11-2026
- A fascinating career, but the article leans heavily on his side of the story. Were the three disqualifications all for the same equipment rule, or were there different issues each time?michael5412-11-2026
- I’m still not sure how the handlebar rules work. If another rider can rest their wrists on the bars, why was Van Schip disqualified for his position?jennifer1912-11-2026
- The UCI really needs clearer, consistently enforced rules on bike setups and riding positions. If Van Schip was being told different things from race to race, no wonder he got fed up.patriciaw12-11-2026
- Two world track titles and three pro wins is a serious career, whatever the controversies. Shame he felt the sport stopped listening to him. Hope Rotterdam gives him the send-off he deserves.tourdeforce912-11-2026
- If he finished ninth at the Tour, why didn’t he get a stage win too? I’m still trying to understand how the overall standings work.julien11-11-2026
- No ‘cross at all this winter? That’s a shame, but with his road season starting in February, I can see why he’d want a proper break. Does stepping away mean he’s done with cyclocross for good?gearguru3311-11-2026
