Why Thymen Arensman missed Strade Bianche despite flying form

Arensman’s performance in the opening 11.5 kilometre individual time trial immediately confirmed the level he is currently riding at. His second place, 22 seconds behind Ganna, followed another strong chrono earlier this year in the Volta ao Algarve, where he also impressed against the clock.

Behind that improvement lies a technical change the rider and his team have been working on in recent months.

“We worked on a new time trial position where I can produce my normal power,” Arensman explained post-race in quotes collected by IndeLeiderstrui. “The team invested a lot of work into that.”

The adjustment focuses on a slightly less aggressive position on the bike, allowing him to transfer the climbing power he is known for to flat terrain as well.

“We now use a different position that is less aggressive. The power I can produce uphill, I can now also produce on flat terrain. With the good equipment we have and by pushing hard on the pedals, you can go very fast on the flat.”

Even with the improvement, Arensman knew beating Ganna on a fast course like the one in Lido di Camaiore would always be a difficult task.

“It was quite a fast course, so it worked well. Against Filippo, who obviously has more advantage on a course like this, the gap is still acceptable. In the Algarve, the course was longer and had more climbing, so the difference ended up being similar. There I had more advantage.”

Still, the conversation around Arensman this week is not only about his form. It is also about the race he did not ride. The Dutchman revealed he was disappointed not to start in Strade Bianche, a race he personally hoped to include in his schedule.

“I was a bit disappointed because I really wanted to ride it as a kind of revenge for the Giro,” he said.

The decision ultimately came from his team, which chose a more cautious approach with the Giro d’Italia already looming on the horizon. “But I also see it as a compliment. That is how the team explained it to me.”

According to Arensman, the team’s reasoning was simple. His preparation is going well and they did not want to take unnecessary risks in a race as unpredictable as Strade Bianche.

“They want to protect me in the build-up to the Giro because everything in training is going well and I take good care of myself. For the risk we would take, a possible top five or top ten was simply not worth it.”

Ironically, Tirreno-Adriatico still includes a taste of the terrain he enjoys. One of the stages features a gravel section in the finale, although Arensman believes the design could make things chaotic.

“I actually really like gravel and I would have loved to ride Strade Bianche as well,” he said. “But this stage only has a gravel sector in the finale with several sharp corners. In my opinion that is a bit asking for trouble.”

“For a first stage like this it is not ideal. If you do gravel, make it really hard and create differences. Now we will probably arrive there like a bunch of crazy riders.”