After Giro d'Italia, Thymen Aremsman gears up to Tour de France to help INEOS Grenadiers' high GC ambitions
Cycling
INEOS Grenadiers was one of the strongest and more courageous teams at the Giro d'Italia and a lot of that was using Thymen Arensman as a tactical weapon in the fight for the overall classification. Now, the Dutchman will follow this up with a Tour de France debut.
Looking ahead to the next objectives of INEOS Grenadiers, the team leader in the Criterium du Dauphiné and Tour de France will be Carlos Rodriguez, and the ambition will be the same. Especially after the announcement that the Spaniard will have a luxury teammate for the Grande Boucle: Thymen Arensman.
Speaking to AD, the Dutch rider, who also participated in the Giro, says his coach has included the race in his preparation. "I really want to race, it's about time I did my first Tour de France," Arensman began.
After racing the Vuela a España on five occasions and the Giro d'Italia four times, he will now be gearing up for his Tour debut at age 25. "No, I wouldn't go as a classification rider, but as a wildcard who can sometimes go for his own chance and sometimes can help the leader Carlos Rodriguez".
His aim for the Giro was to fight for a place in the Top5, for a long time a realistic objective alongside Egan Bernal, but ultimately fatigue and bad luck caught up with him in the final week and the Dutchman fell out of contention. Now, he's looking to race without that pressure and to see what is possible.
"A Tour without the stress of the classification is the healthiest option after a Giro like this. In the future, I certainly want to ride a classification in the Tour, but there's no rush. Every year I keep moving forward, getting a little closer to the world elite".
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- wtf dudemij07-11-2026
- big rival … ridiculous.Ketterechts07-11-2026
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MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
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