Thymen Arensman is the new Dutch hype thread

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Nov 16, 2013
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Like I said, I posted after I read that article - less than two hours ago. So I knew because it obviously happened. Time zones?

It happened seven hours ago, so if the time is between midnight and 7 am where you are, it was yesterday, otherwise it was today :)

But nevermind, it's probably too much of an internal joke, sorry to have bothered.
 
Jul 2, 2021
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Glad someone bumped this thread, I noticed he was a strong climber in the Giro and yesterday I noticed he won an uphill TT. Very strong, worth keeping an eye on this guy.

Didn't you already notice his very strong TT in that Giro and Tirreno? He was probably the second favorite behind Hayter yesterday so no surprises that he won, his TT is probably his biggest weapon.

It's interesting how Ineos is stacking up on good TT riders again after their South American leaders were always losing time in TT against some other top GC riders these couple of years... going back to roots it seems. We'll see how they're gonna use this guy next season and where he'll be in the team's hierarchy.
 
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Jun 7, 2010
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Bump

Super strong in the final today.

Super impressive for a guy not yet 23 riding his second GT of the year.
 
Mar 13, 2009
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And another 2nd place in the final mountain stage to cap it off. He looked very strong in the final 2 mountain stages.

His weakest days were all after a restday (TT, mt stage earlier this week), during heat (TT), or on very explosive efforts (week 1). Those are the weak points he'll have to work on with Ineos.

Other than that, for a first attempt at GC riding in a GT, very good. He'll have to deal with more talented youngsters for a long time though.. Evenepoel, Ayuso, C Rod (until today) were all ahead. Almeida isn't much older either
 
I expect him to improve considerably at Ineos, but he probably isn't a freak talent like some others. Doesn't mean he can't fight for podiums or who knows. It doesn't take much, one of the big favorites crashes out and suddenly the entire dynamic in a GT changes. But a lot will depend on what Ineos have planned for him. Carapaz is leaving, Bernal is still a question mark (and even in top form we don't know if he can compete with the best, a lot has changed since his 2019 TDF win), Pidcock hasn't even landed a GC result in a 1 week pro race yet, De Plus has always pushed the numbers but he 's spent more time in a hospital bed than on a bike, Hart is Hart, Martinez hasn't progressed as expected. So what are the plans? I can't imagine him having to ride for Hart or Pidcock or Sivakov. Whether Rodriguez is really a level above in the long run remains to be seen, there is only 14 months between while Rodriguez has been at Ineos for 3 seasons, while Arensman was at DSM.

Maybe his potential will be somewhere where also guys like Almeida, Vlasov will end up. Fighting for podiums and who knows, when something happens he could suddenly find himself in a great position.

I kind of like the current dynamic at Ineos though. Throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. Go to a GT without a real leader, and figure out in the first week who the strongest is, and the others can help and go stagehunting. If it doesn't pan out, you could still make yourself useful, so less stress and pressure but everybody gets their chance.
 
Mar 13, 2021
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I expect him to improve considerably at Ineos, but he probably isn't a freak talent like some others. Doesn't mean he can't fight for podiums or who knows. It doesn't take much, one of the big favorites crashes out and suddenly the entire dynamic in a GT changes. But a lot will depend on what Ineos have planned for him. Carapaz is leaving, Bernal is still a question mark (and even in top form we don't know if he can compete with the best, a lot has changed since his 2019 TDF win), Pidcock hasn't even landed a GC result in a 1 week pro race yet, De Plus has always pushed the numbers but he 's spent more time in a hospital bed than on a bike, Hart is Hart, Martinez hasn't progressed as expected. So what are the plans? I can't imagine him having to ride for Hart or Pidcock or Sivakov. Whether Rodriguez is really a level above in the long run remains to be seen, there is only 14 months between while Rodriguez has been at Ineos for 3 seasons, while Arensman was at DSM.

Maybe his potential will be somewhere where also guys like Almeida, Vlasov will end up. Fighting for podiums and who knows, when something happens he could suddenly find himself in a great position.

I kind of like the current dynamic at Ineos though. Throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. Go to a GT without a real leader, and figure out in the first week who the strongest is, and the others can help and go stagehunting. If it doesn't pan out, you could still make yourself useful, so less stress and pressure but everybody gets their chance.

This was Arensman his fourth GT though, while it was only Rodriguez his first GT. It often makes a lot of difference to have some GT experience.

Nonetheless, Arensman made a huge step forward this year and there should be a lot of opportunities for him at Ineos next year.
 
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Feb 20, 2012
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And another 2nd place in the final mountain stage to cap it off. He looked very strong in the final 2 mountain stages.

His weakest days were all after a restday (TT, mt stage earlier this week), during heat (TT), or on very explosive efforts (week 1). Those are the weak points he'll have to work on with Ineos.

Other than that, for a first attempt at GC riding in a GT, very good. He'll have to deal with more talented youngsters for a long time though.. Evenepoel, Ayuso, C Rod (until today) were all ahead. Almeida isn't much older either
Way I see it those relative weaknesses aren't as important as simply needing more W/kg in general.
 
Jul 27, 2009
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Way I see it those relative weaknesses aren't as important as simply needing more W/kg in general.
We have neither seen Rodriguez nor Ayuso at the Giro d'Italia. At least one of them might be less favored to those long demanding multiple mountain stages than Arensman.

Good thing is that Ineos might not force him to ride the Tour de France at all. His place in the pecking order probably lies so that he ends up with Co-leadership / being a lieutenant with freedoms at the corsa rosa.

Unless Bernal does the Giro-Vuelta double to get back into it of course. That has to be seen and carefully thought of by Ineos.
 
Sep 1, 2021
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His weakest days were all after a restday (TT, mt stage earlier this week), during heat (TT), or on very explosive efforts (week 1). Those are the weak points he'll have to work on with Ineos.

...

He already told in an interview that his weakness in a GT is getting ready for the 1st week, because he's feeling better and better in the 2nd and especially in the 3rd week. That might be a thing where Ineos trainers/managers can help..

He was not riding well in the TT because he had health problems (maybe because of the heat?) and had a blackout when finished the TT.

With a "normal" TT he would've finished even in front of Almeida. That should be his maximum in the future but Top-5 GT rider is not a bad thing, isnt it? :D
 
Apr 13, 2021
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He should lead Ineos at a grand tour in the next 18 months. I dont know about la vuelta 2023 but Giro or Tour 2024 they should back Arensmen.
 
Mar 13, 2009
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Pretty similar effort to the Vuelta last year but now as helper.

A bad opening TT and some time loss early in the Giro. But a very strong third week. Same pattern though, first week efforts, explosive efforts, and the ultra steep not his thing. Seems very much an improved version of Kruijswijk to me.
 
Feb 20, 2012
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Pretty similar effort to the Vuelta last year but now as helper.

A bad opening TT and some time loss early in the Giro. But a very strong third week. Same pattern though, first week efforts, explosive efforts, and the ultra steep not his thing. Seems very much an improved version of Kruijswijk to me.
Is it weird that after Tre Cime I expected a much better MTT?
 
Aug 3, 2015
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It's a bit weird thing to say at this point since he hasn't reached the peaks that Kruijswijk had had, yet.
Yeah, agree. Would be surprised if he could reach this highs of Kruijswijk in 2016, but then again, Kruijswijk was quite far from that level the rest of his career.