Arensman cleared his head with an epic bike trip, now taking on his Tour de France debut (with a solid plan)?

Much has been said and written about Thymen Arensman in recent months. It started with his notable weight gain during the Giro d’Italia, followed by a contract extension with INEOS Grenadiers (until the end of 2027) and a “good reset” aimed at the Vuelta a España. However, he ultimately had to withdraw from the race in Spain due to heat issues and a COVID infection. After the Vuelta, Arensman disappeared from the radar for a month, opting to go back to basics with a bikepacking retreat from his hometown in Andorra to Neerbeek, Netherlands, accompanied by his cycling buddy Guy. IDLProCycling.com spoke with him about it in Italy, where the Dutch rider hopes to end his year on a high note.

When Arensman set off on Tuesday, September 17, he didn’t quite know what to expect. The bike trip, fully loaded (with sandals strapped under the elastic), started on day one from La Massana to Bouriege (135 kilometers), where the difference between a WorldTour rider and a cycling enthusiast became apparent. Thymen took most of the lead, with Guy drafting behind. On day two, they headed to Carmaux (191 kilometers) and also encountered the challenge of finding a place to sleep, as documented in a Polar Steps report.

The INEOS climber also revealed that, despite intending to relax and let his body recover, he couldn’t resist squeezing in a VO2 max interval or a 20-minute effort from time to time. “Don’t tell my trainer, Dajo.” After tough third and fourth days to Mandailles (166 kilometers) and Clermont (160 kilometers), they enjoyed a well-deserved rest day at Romain Bardet’s place.

Then they took a train to Vichy and cycled 186 kilometers to Saint Leger Vauban. Day seven brought an epic 246-kilometer ride (with a flat tire) to Sainte Menehould, followed by 85 kilometers of nonstop rain in Belgium. They finally stopped in Marche-en-Famenne after 168 kilometers. On day nine, they completed the journey with a 110-kilometer final leg to Neerbeek, where they were welcomed by his parents.

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Arensman calls bikepack trip "a great success"

“It was a great success. I had a lot of fun and got some good training in, so that’s nice,” says Arensman nearly two weeks after his trip, which covered a total of 1,362 kilometers, now in the pouring rain of Varese, Italy. “It was nice to try something like this, to do something different from the highly structured training. I still trained very well, probably with the most hours I’ve ever done in such a timeframe, but in a different way—new routes every day and a bit more freedom.”

“It’s definitely worth repeating, and my coach was excited about it too,” he adds. “If I can fit it in, I’ll definitely do it again. I’m already thinking about riding from Andorra to our INEOS training camp in November—those kinds of things. You need to put in the hours anyway, so why not do it in a fun way? I’m looking into how I can make this happen more often.”

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Arensman dreams of Tour debut already with nutrition plan

It all contributes to peace of mind, as Arensman’s ability to ride hard is no secret. However, he gained weight during the Giro, which he attributes to a voice in his head that always wants more. Now that he understands why it happened, the 24-year-old climber is looking forward to winter. “Since the Vuelta, I’ve been working closely with my nutritionist to make strides with my diet. I need to become more consistent there, as that’s where I can make the most progress. But it remains challenging to keep my weight stable.”

Another issue is the heat. “We’ve done all we can,” Arensman says firmly regarding the many instances where he struggled with the heat. He doesn’t believe more effort would be helpful. “Some people handle it better than others. I’m actually quite good in cold weather, needing fewer clothes than others. I could train a lot in the heat, but that would come at the expense of other things. In the Vuelta, we rode for nine days in over 40-degree temperatures, which just isn’t healthy.”

INEOS Grenadiers and Arensman are well aware of what they’re working towards. In Arensman’s mind, this could lead to his first Tour de France. After five Vueltas and three Giros, he dreams of starting the Tour in Lille. “It seems like a good time to ride the Tour. Ideally, not aiming for the general classification right away, but rather helping the team, watching, and experiencing the Tour circus. In another grand tour, I could then go for the GC. The ideal combination: targeting the Giro, with plenty of time trial kilometers, for a classification, and then the Tour. But the team decides.”