‘Just glad I didn’t break anything’: tourist Thymen Arensman spends week without bike after fall in Tirreno
For Thymen Arensman, Tirreno-Adriatico was a week of two faces. In the opening time trial in Lido di Camaiore, he was the only one who came close to his INEOS Grenadiers teammate Filippo Ganna, but after a crash on the gravel stage to San Gimignano, Arensman never returned to his very best form. He finished the stage race in fifteenth place and responded afterward on Instagram.
"I am fairly satisfied with my performance during the first two stages, but after a crash on the gravel, it was very tough to race for the podium. Nowadays, if you’re not 100%, it’s even harder. My GC ambitions went in the trash after that crash. But I’m glad I could still give something back to the team and that I didn’t break anything."
Arensman sacrificed himself a few more times for his American teammate Magnus Sheffield, who finished ninth overall, and the team also tried to help Filippo Ganna and Sam Welsford secure a second stage win. "It was a great week with the team," Arensman states. "My body is still bruised and covered in wounds, but I’m recovering well. The form is where we want it to be."
Nevertheless, the two-time stage winner will take a short break from the bike during the Tour de France. "I’m going to spend almost a week cycling-free, touring Italy as a tourist. I’m going to take a few days without thinking about the bike," concludes the Dutch climber.
The Tour of the Alps (starting April 20) and the Giro d’Italia (starting May 8) are among Arensman’s next goals. It is not yet known whether he will compete before then.
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