Thymen Arensman was one of INEOS Grenadiers' signings for 2023, as the team shed a group of GC riders in order to favour a younger generation. The Dutchman is part of that group the team now looks to build up, and the feedback from his debut is nothing but positive.
Team DS Matteo Tosatto said in declarations to Bici.Pro: "We already saw good things from him last season. Thymen was a great opponent who came fully prepared at the start. During the winter I immediately noticed that he has a very professional attitude. In addition, he is very tall and slim. He has an ideal build for a modern rider and is therefore a very strong athlete."
Arensman has served a strong domestique role for Romain Bardet early last year, before showing good form at the Giro d'Italia. He kept that quality late in the year however finishing second at the Tour de Pologne and sixth at the Vuelta a Espana, winning stages in both. After two and a half seasons with Team DSM, the Dutchman has been brought to the British team.
“After the departure of Carapaz, we decided to attract young riders," Tosatto explained. "Thymen still has many years ahead of him in which he can develop further. I spent some time with him over the winter, trying to fit him into the group in a moment. I was also there in Valencia and you could see that he also wants to help teammates."
In Valencia Arensman did not battle for the overall classification after a risky breakaway on the queen stage where he rode alone for quite some time, but on the final day he withstood the attack of the GC riders in the main ascent, and went on to finish second only behind Rui Costa in a tight sprint finish after the selection had been made.
"Arensman can handle two Grand Tours in a year. He had to raise awareness about his strength. He is a little afraid of making mistakes," he said of the 23-year old who will now ride the Volta ao Algarve. "A little more courage should be shown.
"Thymen is someone who likes long climbs, although in Valencia he did well on the explosive climbs. He still misses something on the long climbs. We're going to try and screw that without distorting his character."
"Thymen will now go to the Tour of Algarve and the Tirreno-Adriatico. The long climbs in Italy can be a first test. The Giro d'Italia could be a goal, but winning there is not a priority. A first Grand Tour with a new team is always difficult. We take it day by day. However, I do think Thymen can do two Grand Tours in a year. In any case, I am convinced that he is with the right team at the right time," Tosatto concluded.
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