"When things aren't going well mentally, it's difficult to push your body to the limit" - Thymen Arensman reflects on difficult opening to Giro d'Italia 2024
Cycling
After coming into the 2024 Giro d'Italia full of hope and optimism, Thymen Arensman has suffered a very disappointing opening weekend, falling completely out of GC contention.
After stage 1, Arensman's disappointing ride was thrown further into the spotlight by his father, who ranted on his official X (Twitter) account. "The nicest thing about starting a GT is that no trainer can screw up a cyclist form anymore for the next three weeks," Arensman Sr wrote on X. "Hopefully it won’t be too screwed up for now."
After avoiding the press on stage 2 due to the fallout to his father's tweet, Arensman reflected on a difficult few days pre-stage 3 with Eurosport. "It is what it is," he shrugs. "I had hoped that things would go a little better on the first day. At the beginning of a Grand Tour I always need time to get going. The first day was disappointing, yesterday it went a little better and I felt a little more power in my legs."
"I indeed had other things on my mind and that was not easy. When things aren't going well mentally, it's difficult to have to push your body to the limit and that made it very difficult to screw yourself up," Arensman admits. "Everything will get better from now on. The Giro is still very long and I am aiming for the third week anyway. It's not an ideal start anyway, but I'm still in good shape."
Despite his father's criticism of the INEOS Grenadiers, Arensman had some praise for his team. "The team responded very well to the first stage, which of course helped to cope with the disappointment. The team still fully supports me and still believes in me and that is very nice. I will continue to fight and do my best,” the Dutchman concluded.
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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Rafionain-Glas04-11-2026 - maybe this is something else they can protest in the streets of France.mij04-11-2026
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The rollout from Novara is complete 🏳️ The pace might not be super high today but the finish should be 🍿 #Giro
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