'Ultimately, it's only cycling' - Arensman reveals refreshed psychological approach behind Tour success

Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) has revealed the physical and mental toll of his two Tour de France stage victories in 2025, explaining he "collapsed" after holding off Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) on the summit finish to La Plagne.

At 25 years of age, it’s fair to say that Arensman was already an established Grand Tour rider at the start of 2025, with nine three-week races under his belt. Among his accomplishments were two 6th-place finishes at the Giro d’Italia in 2023 and 2024, as well as a standout Vuelta a España in 2022, where he finished 5th overall and won his first Grand Tour stage.

Therefore, it would come as a surprise to many that Arensman was making his Tour de France debut in 2025, but as far as debuts go, it couldn’t have gone much better. 

His first victory came on stage 14 to Superbagnères in the Pyrenees, attacking from the breakaway on the Col de Peyresourde before soloing to victory in misty conditions. However, his second win on stage 19 to La Plagne proved even more impressive, as he attacked from the GC group on the final climb, and managed to survive attacks from Pogačar and Vingegaard, narrowly holding off the duo by just 2 seconds at the line.

"I went all-out. Over the limit," Arensman said in an interview with Helden Magazine. "After the finish I collapsed. That's how deep you have to go when you're fighting to hold off guys like Pogacar and Vingegaard."

Beyond just the physical exertion, Arensman revealed a complete mental reset that transformed his approach to cycling. Heading into the 2025 season, the Dutchman changed his coach, adjusted his training and fundamentally altered his psychological approach to racing.

"Ultimately, it's only cycling," said Arensman. "For me as a rider, and for the people who love this sport, it's an important side issue - but still a side issue. In the past, cycling became the main thing in my life, and that only leads to conflict with yourself."

Despite Arensman’s success in July at the Tour, he considers an earlier performance as the most meaningful of his season.

The Dutchman emphasised the significance of his 3rd place finish at Paris-Nice in the spring, which marked just the second time that he finished on the GC podium of a WorldTour stage race, after ending 2nd at the Tour de Pologne in 2022. But more importantly, it was the work that was put in behind the scenes that made this result stand out for the Dutchman.

"Because my coach and I know what lies behind that performance," explained Arensman. "People might just see a podium photo or a name in the results, but there's a long process behind it - one that's still ongoing."

Arensman aims to carry this new approach into the 2026 season, hoping to reap further success. By the time the new campaign kicks off, the Dutchman will be 26 years old, and with ten Grand Tours under his belt and five professional victories, including three Grand Tour stage wins, he is steadily shaping a career that promises much more to come.