Arensman and INEOS put their stamp on the race, but still end up (almost) empty-handed: "Pretty sure I had the legs"

On the first gravel section, INEOS rider Joshua Tarling set a fast pace at the front, causing the peloton to split up considerably. Thanks to the strong Brandon Rivera, the British team even managed to get three riders into a leading group of five at one point. Rivera was riding alongside Thymen Arensman, Egan Bernal, Isaac Del Toro, and eventual winner Wout van Aert at the front. In the end, it was a flat tire that ended Arensman's hopes for the stage win, followed shortly after by Bernal, who could not keep up with Del Toro's pace.

"I don't think the plan was very complicated: enter the first sector in a good position and then go all out to the finish," said the Colombian after the stage in Tuscany. "Am I satisfied? Not really. We minimized the damage, which is important," said Bernal, who gained more than a minute on rival Primoz Roglic. "Still, I was missing something today to avoid being dropped. I had already given a lot throughout the stage, so yeah... Sometimes it just comes down to strength."

The Colombian saw firsthand that his compatriot Rivera was in great shape on Sunday. "I think everyone knows that he is an excellent rider. Today, he was probably one of the strongest in the race." Still, even he couldn't do anything about Del Toro's bursts of speed. "It's clear that Del Toro is a fantastic rider. I really like his style. He's super smart; he rides very well, he descends very well, and he's always well-positioned. For me, he's one of the best riders out there. It's clear that he can win this race," Bernal said, praising his opponent.

After the race, Ben Turner also reflected on INEOS' day in Italy. "I have no idea how to sum up today," the British rider said in a video posted on X. "It was a bit of a crazy day. We were so strong as a team. I think we showed a lot of dominance and presence. I'm very proud of that and how every single person rode today."

Turner also saw that INEOS had started the day with a clearly defined strategy but didn't go entirely according to plan. "We had a plan, but something happened; I'm not sure exactly what... We'll have to figure that out." Still, pride prevailed among the Englishman. "It was really great today, so I'm very proud of everyone. There are a lot of positive things we can take going forward."

On Sunday evening, reactions from the INEOS riders poured in. Arensman shared his thoughts on his Instagram story. "What a day!" said the Dutchman, who seemed to have been left unhappy about the gravel ride. "I'm very disappointed that my chain got stuck in my derailleur and that I had to finish the ride on Turner's bike. It's so disappointing because I'm pretty sure I had the legs to stay away with Egan until the final. Anyway, the Giro is still long and offers many opportunities."

Rivera also reacted to the stage in Tuscany via Instagram. "It's an honor to be able to contribute something to my friend Egan Bernal," said the Colombian, who had some beautiful words for his lead rider. "I thought back to when we were two kids from Zipaquirá dreaming of becoming professional cyclists, and now here we are at the Giro d'Italia. I am grateful for life because it is here and now. No one knows what will happen tomorrow, so we fight today."