"A complete swing and a miss": Thijs Zonneveld slams Demi Vollering’s "100% AI-generated" post defending Thymen Arensman

Thymen Arensman’s decision to execute a total media blackout during the first week and a half of the Giro d'Italia has sparked a fierce debate across the cycling world. While some have defended the Netcompany INEOS rider, and others have criticized his professionalism, Demi Vollering’s attempt to weigh in on the matter has backfired spectacularly, with Dutch cycling journalist Thijs Zonneveld accusing her of using a fake AI-generated LinkedIn post to chase social media clout.

Arensman’s refusal to grant interviews during the opening block of the Giro caused some controversy. Former Giro winner Tom Dumoulin publicly noted that handling the press simply comes with the territory of being a team leader, while race organizers RCS were reportedly furious with the Dutchman's media evasion.

Meanwhile, Zonneveld noted that while Arensman struggled heavily with pressure in the first week, the rider himself wasn't entirely opposed to talking. Instead, Zonneveld points the finger squarely at INEOS's communication team.

"I sent Thymen a message asking if we could talk briefly," Zonneveld explained in his podcast. "He said that was fine, but that we had to ask the team first. Right after the race, he gives rather uninterested answers, and I can imagine he doesn't want to come across that way. Perhaps he is looking for a moment when he can tell his story a little later. But we didn't get any response at all from Netcompany INEOS. Half the time, you don't hear a single thing back from that team."

Zonneveld emphasized that dealing with the press is a fundamental part of a professional cyclist's contract. "That's where the irritation started, because this is also part of his job. It doesn’t have to happen every single day, but it’s a bit of give and take. My thought is: don't make it a problem, because otherwise, it becomes a problem."

The controversy shifted when FDJ United - Suez star Demi Vollering decided to publish a lengthy statement on LinkedIn. Vollering, who frequently advocates for mental health in sports, argued that the media routinely reduces athlete vulnerability to sensationalized headlines.

However, Zonneveld was entirely unimpressed, pointing out that Vollering completely missed the entire nature of the Arensman debate.

"If you read it superficially, you think: 'Great, she's speaking out about mental health,'" Zonneveld said. "But what Arensman did was make himself completely unavailable for the first week and a half. That is the exact opposite of wanting to be vulnerable. The issue isn't what he's saying. It’s completely irrelevant whether he can show his emotions or whether he has to be perfect. That is not what this discussion is about at all."

What irritated Zonneveld the most was the way the post was written. According to the journalist, Vollering used an artificial intelligence tool to write the statement for her. "She is actually using Arensman’s situation to score clicks for herself," Zonneveld argued.

"And what I find worst of all is that it's AI. Someone ran it through an AI detector, and it came back with a 100% score. She is publishing an AI-generated post about an issue that doesn't even exist, purely to harvest likes on LinkedIn. I find it genuinely sad."

While Zonneveld made it clear that Vollering has every right to speak out on topics she cares about, he believes this specific move completely missed the mark. "If she wants to support him, just say that it’s sometimes tough to show your vulnerability. Say something like that. Make it real. But this is so fake... What even is this? Isn’t this just scoring points on Arensman's back with a fake post about a fake topic? I think it's a complete swing and a miss."