Another setback for INEOS Grenadiers at La Vuelta - After struggling with heat, Thymen Arensman abandons with Covid-19
Cycling
As the Vuelta a España continues, the Covid-19 outbreak continues to grow in size. In the space of only a few days, several riders have already left the race with the virus and now Thymen Arensman is also one of them.
INEOS Grenadiers are having an unlucky set of days. Whilst Carlos Rodríguez is having good form and battling for the overall classification, he is running out of support in the mountains. 24 hours after Laurens de Plus abandoned the race with Covid-19, now Thymen Arensman has gone down the same path. The Dutchman has been struggling a lot with the heat and was suspected of having suffered from heat stroke only a few days ago.
The race finally left the deadly temperatures of central and southern Spain, for a more moderate summer in Galicia, but as soon as it happened the Dutchman came down with Covid and withdraws from the race.
He follows the likes of Patrick Konrad (also from Covid-19) and Lorenzo Rota who will not start today's stage 11, in which Rodríguez will need team support in a day with several short and steep climbs.
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- I hope he rides a bitmij15-11-2026
- Greatest athlete this world has ever produced ! LOL ... you definitely are a comdian ! Cycling is so sprecialized and you think he's the greatest athlete ever ! Still laughing !frieders315-11-2026
- b.s. headline. Jonas wasn't told anything, it is just a pundit telling him what to do. the actual article is not even close to the insinuation of the headline.mij15-11-2026
- I think Roglic could have beaten Sepp. not Jonas. I was referring to Sepp.mij15-11-2026
- I'm deeply sick of this guy and his unwillingness to race seriously for more than a month or two. I'll never respect riders who do that. Seixas will be stronger than him next season, and maybe Del Toro as well. I don't even think he'll finish on the podium at any GT where Pogi, Seixas, and Del Toro are racing.megasmacky15-11-2026
- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
- If you go watch some races from last season other riders that have never caught Jonas...are now catching him. Some are just riding away from him and he can't hold the wheelmd197514-11-2026
- He just doesn't have the desire anymore. I read an article earlier today that said he almost retired last year. His reasoning was he is away from home to much. Visma was able to keep him riding by allowing him to skip certain camps. So, while currently Visma is doing altitude work...Jonas is at home. Which means 2 things. 1- He maybe fresher than other riders. But, not the condition. 2-Is a somewhat slap in the face to others on the team that are supposed to help him win. Yet feel like he hasn't done what they have so perhaps they don't provide as good of protection or they ride more for theme (which the team may not notice).md197514-11-2026
- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
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After suffering Covid symptoms and subsequently returning a positive test, @ThymenArensman will not line up for stage 11 of #LaVuelta24 We wish you a speedy recovery Thymen.
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