"After the finish I collapsed" - Thymen Arensman reveals just how deep he had to go to hold off Tadej Pogacar & Jonas Vingegaard during standout Tour de France stage wins
Cycling
For years, Thymen Arensman had been tipped as one of the Netherlands’ most promising Grand Tour riders. But it wasn’t until the 2025 Tour de France — a race defined by Tadej Pogacar’s dominance — that the INEOS Grenadiers climber finally delivered the breakthrough many had long predicted.
Two stage victories, both taken in breathtaking style, confirmed his arrival among the sport’s elite. Yet as Arensman revealed in an interview with Helden Magazine, the road to that success was not just about physical strength — it was about a complete mental reset.
“After the finish I collapsed”
Arensman’s first Tour de France stage win came atop Luchon-Superbagnères, where he held off world champion Pogacar to take a solo victory from the breakaway. Days later at La Plagne, he stunned the favourites again, launching a late attack from the group of GC contenders and narrowly denying Jonas Vingegaard by two seconds.
“I went all-out. Over the limit,” Arensman recalled. “After the finish I collapsed. That’s how deep you have to go when you’re fighting to hold off guys like Pogacar and Vingegaard.”
It was a moment of catharsis for a rider who, despite flashes of brilliance since his early days at Sunweb, had spent years struggling to unlock his full potential.
Arensman was completely spent as he crossed the line
A new mindset, a new Arensman
Heading into the 2025 season, Arensman decided to rip up the script. He brought in a new coach, adjusted his training, and — most importantly — transformed his mental approach to racing.
“Ultimately, it’s only cycling,” he said. “For me as a rider, and for the people who love this sport, it’s an important side issue — but still a side issue. In the past, cycling became the main thing in my life, and that only leads to conflict with yourself.”
That sense of perspective freed him from the pressure that had so often held him back. When he lost time in the early stages of the Giro d’Italia, he refused to panic. When he won a stage at the Tour of the Alps, he stayed grounded. And when the Tour came around, he finally rode with the freedom and self-belief that had been missing.
“People only see the result — not the process”
Although his Tour wins earned the headlines, Arensman revealed that his third place at Paris-Nice was the most meaningful result of his season.
“Because my coach and I know what lies behind that performance,” he explained. “People might just see a podium photo or a name in the results, but there’s a long process behind it — one that’s still ongoing.”
It was in Paris-Nice that Arensman realised his new approach was working, both mentally and physically — confirmation that stepping away from self-imposed pressure could lead to his best-ever form.
Eyes on the next chapter
Looking ahead to 2026, Arensman plans to target the general classification in one Grand Tour while devoting more time to refining his time-trialling. And if his words are any indication, the Dutchman’s renewed mindset might be his most powerful weapon of all.
He doesn’t claim to have all the answers, but his reflections suggest a rider who has rediscovered balance and belief. The Arensman who lines up next season will do so with the same simple mindset that carried him to his Tour stage wins: give everything, accept the outcome, and move forward.
For the Dutchman, that’s not a slogan — it’s the lesson earned from going “over the limit” and crossing the line utterly spent.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
- and another no-news article around the ‚2 tokyo jogging rounds‘ headline, this time spiced with some days old ‚news‘ that the LA and japan vacation trips come during or after the tdf route release. i am getting more and more annoyed by this time-stealing no-news crap. but who am i to complain? nobody forces me to come back for more ‚news‘ day after day …Ketterechts02-11-2026
- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
- Who cares what Bruyneel thinks. He and his best mate Lance, the biggest fraud in the history of sport, have no place commenting on anything but how to lie and cheat!whit2pet02-11-2026
- Eeesh!Lozza02-11-2026
- bravo! a rider likes jonas needs motivation and he needs to believe in being able to reach goals. he - like anybody else in the world - doesn't believe that he can win the tdf with pogi present. and what's it worth for when pogi is not there? second class victory only. he has checked all three grand tours, so what is left if not retire? the classics! go for it, jonas!Ketterechts02-11-2026
- i am sure that under the pretext of medical examination a lot worse has happened when they were under.abstractengineer02-11-2026
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