"Less is more" for Thymen Arensman: "That explained why I gained those 5 kilos in the Giro"

Thymen Arensman is 24 but will start his fifth Vuelta a Espana on Saturday in Lisbon. The Dutchman from INEOS Grenadiers will do so as one of the two GC riders on behalf of the British team, aiming for a whole bunch of free riders. IDLProCycling spoke to Arensman at length at the team presentation in the Portuguese capital.

Between the end of the Giro (May 26) and the first stage of the Tour of Burgos (Aug. 5), we did not see Arensman in competition, to which he clarified that it was a preparatory race for the Vuelta. "It's my first race in two and a half months. After the Giro, I rested a lot, and I needed that. In the preparations for the Giro, I was too hard on myself, so I needed a good reset. Then I had a good training block and altitude training, which I really enjoyed."

Now that that preparation is over, the Vuelta a Espana will follow. It is the third time in the classification rider's still-young career that he is doing the Vuelta-Giro combination, but the first time his team has put him forward as a co-captain. Performance Director Scott Drawer discussed an "aggressive race tactic, with Arensman and Carlos Rodriguez as co-captains" in the team's press release.

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Interview Thymen Arensman before start of Vuelta a Espana

Thymen, you're 24, and it's your fifth Vuelta already. Time flies.

"That's right. Five in a row, but last year's doesn't count, of course." (Arensman then dropped out in the seventh stage, ed.)

Is that so?

"Yes, a little bit, yes. I have blocked that Vuelta from my mind a bit. That was not a nice memory, that fall. Traumatic is a big word, but I suffered from that. I also have half a fake tooth now, so that is a scar I will carry with me for the rest of my life. They did an outstanding job of repairing it, by the way, because you can't see anything."

I understand how you feel; I got half a tooth like that from a bike fall when I was younger. We won't talk about it for too long then. How are you?

"I'm doing okay. Of course, I last raced a long time ago, but it was necessary. I needed time to reset after the Giro, but I've had a good, stable preparation. I'm curious to see where I stand."

Where was that reset in him?

"Actually, it was purely physical. Two days before a big tour, you have a standard mandatory blood test from the UCI, so now also for the Vuelta. But at the Giro, we had that too, of course, and there, the team hadn't told me that at the time, but my blood values were super bad. It was the worst I've ever had, just before a big tour. That's not ideal, of course.

I did learn lessons from it. I pushed myself too much and was too enthusiastic about the preparation: I tried to be too lightweight, train an hour too much, and so forth. That also kind of explained why I lost time those first days in the Giro and why I ended up gaining five kilos. My cortisol levels were just way too high."

What lessons did you learn from that?

"I've enjoyed cycling a lot more now and take time to listen to myself. I've been a little calmer, so hopefully it helps."

How difficult is it to listen to your body as a professional athlete?

"That's very difficult. Your body, of course, gives signals: maybe you should do a little less, and you're tired. But there is such an incredible drive inside that you want to do well and perform. It is difficult to accept that less is more, but it is also very logical: everyone can train hard, but not everyone can rest hard. While it is essential, the more you rest, the harder you can eventually train again. If you skip that step, you go to ruin it.

But in the end, it was just still a nice Giro. A sixth place isn't wrong, of course."

True. How many people on this globe can say that?

"Exactly. Top six in a big round is super good, of course."

And how old are you?

"Now still 24. And then I've finished in the top five once and top six twice in a grand tour. That's super nice, but knowing this.... if I get sixth with that kind of blood value and such a bad feeling, then that also motivates me a bit that there is still more in it. Hopefully, in this race."

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As far as we can judge from the press release, you will be explicitly played out for the first time as a leader or co-leader.

"I can say that it is the first big tour communicated like that, and we start with two leaders: Carlos and me. But in the Giro, I also already had a protected role, knowing that a podium place with G (Geraint Thomas, ed.) was more important than my sixth place. That's ultimately the same here: if Carlos can win or ride the podium and I ride for sixth again, I'm also happy to help him. And it's the same the other way around. With us, they say, the road decides."

Between the Giro and the Vuelta, you extended your contract. How much confidence do you feel in this team in the coming years?

"Actually, quite a lot. The team has confidence that I can achieve my dream of riding a podium on a big tour once, which is a big dream for me. They think I have that potential, and the three-year contract shows a lot of confidence. That is very nice. I think I am on the right team."

Do you dare to dream that particular dream before this Vuelta?

"It is always nice to dream, but I am unsure. Of course, it's also pretty hot right now, but I've also been working on that in and after Burgos. Of course, I have always wanted to dream, but maybe I need an extra year. We'll see, I just don't know so well."

Speaking of that heat, we are also going to Seville and Cordoba, the warmer cities of Europe, in August. Do you have to turn that off a little in your head?

"At the end of the day, you can't change it. I can't summon the weather gods that it will rain there, so I must accept it and rely on my good preparation. If it's good, it's good, but if it's bad, it's bad."

The build-up, then. In the Giro, it was full-on right away with two tricky stages. Now, it's structured a little differently with a short time trial and two somewhat flatter stages. Are you happy with that?

"For me, it is very nice that we are starting with a time trial. That is entirely different from a punch finish, which is not super for me anyway. So, I am thrilled with a flatter time trial, where I can take some time on other classification riders.

Stages two and three are not as easy as they look. Those are actually quite tough stages with a lot of ups and downs. However, that is also good for me because then the legs come in a bit, and I already see some off. That way, maybe I can go to stage four with better legs, so I think it's a nice start to the Vuelta."

And with Joshua Tarling on the team, you could well be drinking champagne right after the time trial.

"Definitely. For him, this is a huge opportunity to take the stage."