“We go again... That’s all you can do right?” - Thymen Arensman refuses to give up on Giro d’Italia podium dream after Stage 19 setback

Thymen Arensman has refused to give up on his Giro d’Italia podium dream after a painful queen stage setback saw the Netcompany INEOS leader slip out of the top three with one final mountain test remaining.

Arensman started stage 19 in third overall, only 24 seconds behind Felix Gall in second, but the road to Alleghe turned against him on the final climb to Piani di Pezze. Jai Hindley limited his losses behind Jonas Vingegaard and Gall, while Arensman cracked in the closing kilometres and dropped to fourth overall.

The Dutchman is now 29 seconds behind Hindley in the fight for the final podium place, with Saturday’s double ascent of Piancavallo set to decide whether he can still turn his Giro back around before Rome.

“It was quite hard, it was quite hard for everyone, all-out, and that’s what I did today,” Arensman said in quotes collected by Cycling News after stage 19. “I just tried to go as fast as I possible.”

The disappointment was sharpened by the way Netcompany INEOS had ridden before the final ascent. Embret Svestad-Bardseng drove hard on the descent off Passo Falzarego, before Egan Bernal took over on the lower slopes of the last climb.

The move suggested INEOS still saw a chance to attack the riders ahead of Arensman. Gall was only 24 seconds away at the start of the day, and a strong final climb could have pushed the Dutchman closer to second overall.

Instead, Decathlon CMA CGM Team took control after the opening kilometre of Piani di Pezze. When Gall attacked with 3.5 kilometres left, Arensman was immediately in difficulty.

Hindley also briefly slipped behind Vingegaard and Gall, but the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe rider recovered well enough to finish only four seconds behind them. Arensman reached the summit in 12th on the stage, more than a minute further back. “Today I did everything I could, and I can be really proud of that,” Arensman said. “I’m especially super super proud of my team, everyone was so committed. I did my best today and I can be proud of that.”

Arensman remains 5:33 behind Vingegaard in the general classification, but the more immediate race is now with Hindley. The Australian moved onto the podium after stage 19, while Gall tightened his hold on second place behind the maglia rosa.

There is still one proper mountain day left. Stage 20 brings a double ascent of Piancavallo, with tired legs across the GC group after the Dolomite queen stage. “The finish is in Rome, you always keep fighting,” Arensman said. “We will try for sure, I will try my absolute best to recover well and go again tomorrow - that’s all I can do right.”

For Arensman and INEOS, stage 19 ended with the podium place gone rather than strengthened. Piancavallo now offers one last chance to take it back.