"Everyone saw what I was trying to do..." - Thymen Arensman disappointed not to take Tour of the Alps win; Dati talks of an 'unforgettable' day
Cycling
The opening stage of the Tour of the Alps saw a bunch sprint decide the winner, however it was not without its traps on the way. It was a calm day in the bunch, until the final 5 kilometers where INEOS Grenadiers forced the pace and tried to surprise.
However Thymen Arensman's attack, which came on the descent of a small uphill ramp inside the final 5 kilometers of the stage, came to and end with a mere 300 meters to go. The Dutchman almost pulled off a stupendous move, but when Team UKYO picked up the pace in the peloton, they put Tommaso Dati in a perfect position, and the 23-year old delivered with a second 2.1 win in the space of two months - a strong results sheet for a continental-level rider in the European calendar.
"I was so excited to start this Tour of the Alps and to do it this way... it's a dream," the Italian fast man said in a post-race interview. "We were expecting an attack on this final climb. And indeed, we saw several attacks".
The Japanese-Italian team managed to deliver him so well that in the final sprint, he had the legs to outsprint Tom Pidcock. "My goal was to follow them as much as possible. I also tried to conserve as much energy as possible for the final sprint, it's fantastic. Tomorrow (where he will be the race leader, ed.) will be an unforgettable day".
Thymen Arensman disappointed with the outcome
Arensman on the other hand, a rider who typically struggles in the beginning of stage-races, was quite disappointed in the finale, where he was close to taking his first win of the season. There was nothing to hide, as INEOS' plan was quite clear, and almost perfect.
"The finale? I think everyone saw what I was trying to do," the two-time Tour de France stage winner last summer told L'Équipe. "We failed, but we'll keep pushing. Today, we tried to create something, we really wanted this victory. We'll continue like this every day!"
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.
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