Arensman finally makes decision on grand tour participation for 2025: I've learned a lot from Geraint Thomas

Thymen Arensman faces a new challenge on Thursday in the still early 2025 season. The INEOS Grenadiers rider had a strong start with an impressive fourth-place finish in the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, where he successfully translated his team’s new racing approach into a great result. Speaking with IDLProCycling.com at the Volta ao Algarve, Arensman also revealed which Grand Tours he plans to race this season.

One thing stood out in Spain: Arensman’s aggressive approach to the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana. In both of the race’s toughest stages, which were won by Bahrain Victorious rider Santiago Buitrago, he put in strong performances, finishing fifth in both. These were explosive finishes, not exactly the kind of terrain the 25-year-old Dutchman is known for.

“It’s what we’ve been communicating as a team all winter—we want to race differently," Arensman explained. "A more attacking style of riding, and that won’t be any different here in the Algarve.”

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Arensman and INEOS "trying to keep up with the times"

This shift in approach suits Thymen Arensman well, as he explains. "For me, it feels quite natural. This is how I raced in the youth categories, as well as in the junior ranks and my early years with Sunweb/DSM. At INEOS, things were a bit different, and I had to learn a different way of racing, but now I’m going back to my roots a little. I like that."

Did the riders at INEOS Grenadiers have a say in this tactical shift? "We definitely did. With Geraint and Team Sky, it worked really well to ride a high tempo uphill. But G is retiring, and new leaders are stepping in. Cycling is evolving, and there are a lot of really strong riders out there. So we also have to try to keep up with the times."

By "G," Arensman is, of course, referring to Geraint Thomas, who announced on Monday that he will retire at the end of the season. "I think I’ve mainly learned what it takes to be a leader in this team and how to perform well in a grand tour. He has a very unique mindset for that. He did things his own way, and I’ve learned a lot from that. I think the key thing is that he really stays true to himself and doesn’t let distractions get to him. He just does his thing," said Arensman, who has prepared for multiple grand tours alongside the Welshman.

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Arensman aims for Giro GC and hopes for a Tour de France debut

So far, Thymen Arensman’s results indicate that he has come out of the offseason in strong shape. "Winter went really well. I think I trained a bit less in terms of volume, but I increased the quality of my sessions. We’ll see how that plays out."

Until now, it wasn’t clear which grand tour Arensman would be targeting, but he can now confirm his plans. "The plan is to ride the Giro d’Italia for the GC, and then we’ll see if the Tour de France can be added. But that depends on how I recover after the Giro."

"I would really like to experience the Tour," the 25-year-old admitted. "Not necessarily going for the GC right away, because it’s such a huge circus. But doing the Tour after the Giro would be the ideal plan, I think. It would also set me up well for the rest of my career, where I might target the GC in the future. If I get the chance to race the Tour, I certainly wouldn’t say no."

For the past two years, Arensman rode the Giro in support of Geraint Thomas. Does this mean he will now be INEOS Grenadiers’ main leader? "The plan is for me to go with Egan (Bernal), but obviously, we don’t know exactly how his recovery will go," he said, referring to Bernal’s collarbone fracture from his crash in Clasica Jaén on Monday. "So I can’t say much about that. But I will start as one of the team leaders—though, honestly, that doesn’t make much of a difference. Over the past few years, I had just as much support as G (Geraint Thomas), Tao (Geoghegan Hart), or whoever else. In the end, it all comes down to the legs."

Read also

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