More mature than in the past
Thomas immediately sees that the Tour victories brought about a much-needed confidence boost for his underclassman. Suddenly, Arensman was able to (almost) win a flat 11.5-kilometer time trial on first stage of a race. Compared to past year’s Giro where Arensman lost several minutes before the GC battle even started, the shift in mentality is fathomable.
“Thymen has now brought that confidence with him, and I think he’s maturing as an athlete. Yes, the potential is enormous,” says Arensman’s former teammate.
Thymen Arensman wins on La Plagne, stage 19, Tour de France 2025
The key change was to not change anything
Last winter, the British team kept the pressure off the Dutch climber. “It’s mainly a matter of keeping things simple and focusing on the important things, and not worrying about them. ‘A simple life is an elite life’ is a phrase we use a lot.”
But in terms of preparation, INEOS and Arensman have not changed much, trusting the methods that saw Arensman perform well at occasions already in 2025. “He has a good, solid foundation with his coach, Adrian Lopez, and the staff behind the scenes. He’s just taken it easy and quietly, and that seems to be working well for him,” Thomas explains.
“There will be setbacks, of course. That’s part of the sport, so you have to make sure you learn to roll with the punches. But he’s definitely put himself in a great position to attack this year with everything he’s got.”
With Giro in mind
The plan for 2026 is the same as year prior, except the desired outcome needs to be vastly better. Arensman will return to Corsa Rosa with yet another GC bid, facing off against Jonas Vingegaard, Joao Almeida or Mikel Landa. Unless Arensman would be to face a total meltdown, he should have until stage 7’s finish on Blockhaus to get into a top racing shape even if the preparation is slightly off like in 2025.
“I think he should do what excites him most. He still wants to perform in the GC, so that makes sense,” Thomas says, looking ahead to the Giro. “I think he has to go there with an open mind. The most important thing, and that’s how I’ve always approached it, is to show up at the start in the best possible shape. From there, you attack as you see fit and as the race develops.”
Ability to adapt is key, according to the 39-year-old Thomas: “That’s the message I try to convey to most of the guys: stick to the basics, worry about the bigger picture, and don’t worry about all those small percentages; they’ll sort themselves out when necessary. It’s about making it happen, and that’s the attitude they’ve had so far, which is good to see,” concludes the former Tour de France champion.