It was far from a perfect race with many ups and downs, but after two weeks, Thymen Arensman was still balancing on the verge of top-10 in general classification. But a momentary loss of attention from one opponent was enough to remove the Dutchman from prominent positions in the GC.
The INEOS Grenadiers rider hit the deck during the stage, but it was hardly even his fault. "I don't know," Arensman started his story afterwards at Eurosport.
"It was a near fall and I think there was a lot of time to brake, but someone didn't brake and hit the back of me."
That's why it wasn't a near fall, but a real fall for the Dutchman. "I landed hard on my knee and I had problems with that the whole stage."
"It is what it is," Arensman continued, who dared to point the finger firmly. "I really don't know what he was doing. That's racing, I guess."
"At the end I couldn't hold back the pain anymore. Now my knee really hurts," he shared the damage. "I tried to keep fighting until the finish and tried to stay close to do work for Egan. But if there's one rider who doesn't really brake, well... It is what it is."
With so many hard stages up ahead, it is now a big question for Arensman and the medical team of INEOS whether the 25-year-old should even continue fighting though the pain or if it wouldn't be better to step back and recover with future races in mind. Stage 17 will make things clearer once again.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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