"The wattage we were pushing was insane" - Thymen Arensman filled with pride despite losing Tour of the Alps GC to Michael Storer
Cycling
Thymen Arensman headed into the final stage of the 2025 Tour of the Alps holding a narrow 11 second advantage over Michael Storer at the top of the general classification. Sadly for the INEOS Grenadiers leading Dutchman, it ultimately wasn't an advantage he could keep as his Australian rival turned the tables on the final stage, taking the overall win for himself.
Despite the obvious disappointment of missing out what would have been the first GC win of his professional career, Arensman cut a classy post-stage interview, full of praise for the performance of Storer on the final stage. “Michael was so strong on the penultimate climb," begins the 25-year-old's assessment in conversation with Wielerflits. "I had good legs too and went all-in trying to follow him. The wattage we were pushing was insane. And then he still managed to attack. That deserves real respect.”
The key move came at around 35km to go, when Storer's Tudor Pro Cycling Team teammate Florian Stork blew everyone out of the wheels with an brutal set-up for his team leader. “I definitely expected him to go,” Arensman explained, having been able to follow initially, before ultimately losing the wheel as well. “I also knew he had a teammate up the road. All I could do was go full gas and try to hang on. Whether I blew up or not didn’t matter - I gave it everything, and I’m proud of that. The whole team gave it their all - we can be proud of that.”
And with the Giro d'Italia on the horizon, a Grand Tour Arensman has twice claimed a top 6 finish at, the signs are overwhelmingly positive for the INEOS Grenadiers star. “Really positive," he agrees. "We’re clearly on the right track. It just needs to be a bit more consistent. And I think there’s still a few more percent to gain - that’s definitely possible. But we’re on the right path.”
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Hats off to Michael, what a fight 🎩 proud of my performance https://t.co/LKgSZqrBUK
— Thymen Arensman (@ThymenArensman) April 25, 2025
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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