"It confirms the good winter": Thymen Arensman and INEOS Grenadiers show strong form despite bad luck in the Algarve

The early races of the season are always a crucial test for Grand Tour contenders to see where they stand after a long winter of training. At the 2026 Volta ao Algarve, INEOS Grenadiers brought a powerful roster featuring two new stars - Kévin Vauquelin and Oscar Onley - as well as Thymen Arensman to battle for the general classification. Despite some unfortunate crashes on the first mountain finish, all of them proved they have the legs to fight at the front of the peloton.

The second stage of the race provided the first big test in the mountains. Paul Seixas took his first professional victory ahead of Juan Ayuso and Joao Almeida after an impressive sprint. INEOS Grenadiers had a strong numerical advantage with Onley finishing fourth, Vauquelin in ninth, and Arensman in thirteenth. However, the team was heavily disrupted when Brandon McNulty crashed with 3.5 kilometers to go, right as the road got steeper.

"It went well, but unfortunately one of the UAE riders crashed right in front of me, which put me a bit behind when the leaders attacked," Onley explained after the stage. "From that moment on I just paced myself back to the front group, but I don't think it changed anything for the result."

Despite the chaos, Onley was very positive about racing with his new teammates. "It was really nice to ride with the boys," the British rider noted. "I have always seen how the team approaches the race and it was nice to be part of that today – just staying safe and riding in a good position."

"These kinds of days are important for us as GC riders to learn how we all ride and how we can best work together, so I think we did very well for our first time together," Onley concluded.

Arensman was also caught out by the same incident, but he refused to let it ruin his confidence. "Stage 2 in the books," Arensman wrote to his followers on Instagram. "I was a bit unlucky to be behind a crash 3.5 kilometers from the finish, just as the leaders attacked."

"But I was always able to keep them in sight and I am happy with the feeling and form," he added. "It was just bad luck. Now the time trial follows, all to play for with a strong team."

Arensman kept his promise the very next day. While his teammate Filippo Ganna powered to victory in the individual time trial, Arensman delivered an excellent performance to finish fifth on the stage, one second faster than his teammate Vauquelin, making it three INEOS riders in the top 10.

This strong ride pushed the 26-year-old Dutchman up to fifth place in the overall general classification, proving that his climbing legs on Thursday were no accident. "It confirms the good winter I have had, and it was just bad luck that I was stuck behind a crash on Thursday," Arensman shared on social media after the time trial.

He is now looking forward to the final mountain stage, which is taking place on Sunday, with high hopes. "Happy with the winter, the feelings and the atmosphere in the team! Let's keep this up and on Sunday everything is still possible."