"I'm only going to get better" - Thymen Arensman best of the INEOS Grenadiers on stage 3 of the Vuelta a Espana

Geraint Thomas may have been designated as the outright leader of the INEOS Grenadiers at the start of the Vuelta a Espana but it was Thymen Arensman who performed the best of the British-based outfit on stage 3.

“Our teammates have always positioned us well for the climbs. On the final climb I felt pretty good. When Ayuso attacked, I tried to follow him, but that was a rookie mistake," analyses the 23-year-old Dutchman as part of his team's social media. "I know I really just have to climb at a steady pace so I went a bit over my limit.”

Finishing 15th on the day, Arensman is now 14th in the general classification at 45 seconds down, the best placed of the INEOS Grenadiers both on the day and overall. “I lost a few seconds because of that, but in the end I am quite satisfied. Normally I'm pretty bad in the first week and I need some time to get into the game," explains the Dutchman.

“I'm only going to get better now, so for me this is a good result. I'm just a little disappointed that I couldn't follow the large group of GC riders,” Arensman concludes before giving a thought for Thomas who now sits 21st in GC at 1:11. "That's too bad. However, I am sure that he will continue to fight.”