DSM order Arensman out of winning Vuelta a Espana breakaway, Dutchman looses important time in GC
Cycling
Thymen Arensman is leading Team DSM at the Vuelta a Espana this summer, however team tactics may have hampered the Dutchman severely on the ninth stage as he was ordered to leave the winning breakaway after making the effort to get in.
Being asked by reporters at the finish, the DSM rider replied no less than four times: “We decided that together, as a team". At the end of the day looking back, it is a decision that has left many in a state of confusion, with the team's social media also including several calls of disappointment after a decision that seems to have played against Arensman and the team's ambitions. "Why? Because we think that was better," he justified however, not wanting to attribute the decision to any party.
The move happened with 130 kilometers to go, as an 11-rider group went up the road and there was finally no resistance from the peloton. The day was one where the breakaway was likely to succeed, and Arensman would be a favourite taking into consideration the lack of pure climbers. He worked together with the group for five kilometers as the gap grew quickly, and then suddenly he slowed down and let the breakaway go. He was ordered by yhe team to wait for the peloton.
The situation didn't improve later on, as he explained: “It is very disappointing that just before the final climb I was behind a fall with riders from INEOS Grenadiers [Tao Geoghegan Hart]. I wasted a lot of energy there trying to come back. In doing so, I went over my limit".
Seeing the breakaway succeed, and then himself not even being able to start the final brutal climb to Les Praeres in the peloton, Arensman cracked. “That's why I crack mentally, also because of the heat. It was also so steep. It was more that I cracked mentally than I was physically cracked," he said.
The Dutchman lost over two and a half minutes to Remco Evenepoel, and remained in 11th position. “Now we first have the rest day, then the individual time trial. And then we'll see," he concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
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.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
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)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 1visitors 1
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- 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
Loading
What a brutally steep final climb that was, as @ThymenArensman gave everything he had to the finish 🥵 #LaVuelta22
1 Comments