"He is starting to deeply annoy the Giro organization": RCS reportedly furious as Thymen Arensman blanks the media at the Giro

Thymen Arensman is putting together an incredible ride at the Giro d'Italia, currently sitting fourth in the general classification, but his quiet demeanor off the bike is sparking a massive storm behind the scenes. The Dutch Netcompany INEOS rider has completely shielded himself from the media since the race started to protect his focus, creating a heated tug-of-war between his team's protective press strategy and race organizers RCS, who feel the podium contender isn't fulfilling his professional duties.

It is no secret that Arensman is not a fan of media appearances, especially when trying to maintain concentration during a Grand Tour. However, according to Eurosport France, his near-total silence has pushed Giro organizers RCS past their breaking point, with officials viewing his media evasion as a direct failure to support the race.

Netcompany INEOS, a squad well-known for its tightly controlled press interactions, has completely backed their rider's choice. Team leader Geraint Thomas recently explained to journalist Daniel Benson that they drew up a specific strategy before the race kicked off to shield Arensman from extra pressure.

"We made a plan beforehand with Thymen and our press officer," Thomas said. "I told him: 'We'll do whatever helps you stay focused and we don't want to drag you into everything.' If there are days with less pressure or when he does feel the need to speak, that's fine. But from our side, there is absolutely no pressure to do it if he doesn't feel like it. That seems to work for him. Everyone is different, when you're racing, you get into a specific zone."

While that protective bubble might be working wonders for Arensman's performance on the road, the race's stakeholders are not happy at all, and a full-blown struggle is currently taking place behind closed doors between the team and the race organization.

"The problem is that the rider, who has never liked talking to the media, is now starting to deeply annoy the Giro organization," Eurosport reported. "At RCS, they believe that by avoiding the media, Arensman isn't fully doing his job. Behind the scenes, there is a real tug-of-war going on between the team and the organization."

The debate has also sparked conversations among former pros. Retired Dutch cycling star Tom Dumoulin, who generally gets along well with his compatriot, expressed understanding for Arensman’s introverted nature but stressed that talking to the press is an unwritten obligation for professional cyclists.

"I think it’s just part of the job to talk to the media every now and then," Dumoulin commented. "I completely understand his reasoning and I even have sympathy for it, but I ultimately view it as a duty. It doesn't have to be every single day or for very long, but an interview after the stage would have been perfectly fine. Indirectly, this is the business model of the sport. The media attention generated is what pays the riders' salaries."