The only one who could beat Pogacar in the Pyrenees was Thymen Arensman. ‘I went all out, constantly against cramps’

Thymen Arensman had said it to his teammates on Saturday morning before the start of the fourteenth stage: if I have more than four minutes ahead of the final climb to Luchon-Superbagnères, a ski resort in the Pyrenees, I can win the stage.

Saturday afternoon it turned out that a little more than three minutes was enough. Only Arensman crossed the finish line on the mountain top covered with thick clouds. The cow bubbles her fault, but where the cows stood, you couldn’t see because of the dense fog.

The pursuers of Arensman were also nowhere to be seen; He had more than a minute ahead, after a solo of 37 kilometers. On the penultimate climb on the flanks of the Peyresourde, he ran away. “From then on I went all outConstantly against the cramp, “said Arensman afterwards, the winners medal around his neck. He had seen many Dutch flags along the way.” That gives you 10 to 20 watts more power. Maybe that was just the difference. “

The Dutchman (25) employed by the British Ineos Grenadiers is working on a spectacular debut in the Tour de France. In the tenth stage in the Central Massif, he also rode the entire day in front, but he had to leave the victory to Simon Yates. “I had just so good legs today,” said Arensman. “I used that well.”

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Miserable ride

The first Die Arensman after the finish set a congratulating hand, while the Dutchman was still on the floor of his performance, was Tadej Pogacar. Arensman was the only one who managed to beat the Slovenian in the Pyrenees. Pogacar became first, first and second; Behind him, the differences have since risen to proportions that you normally see at the end of the third week of a big round. Not already in week two.

It started on the Hautacam, the final climb on Thursday, where Pogacar was launched up to his teammates from UAE Team Emirates-XRG and immediately took a convincing lead of more than three minutes.

The margin became bigger on Friday in the climb time trial. It did not matter that Pogacar’s bike was heavier than that of his competitors, or that he could not be in an aerodynamic position without a set -up handlebar. Pogacar kicked the climb to Peyragudes just faster, drove faster, and grabbed tens of seconds.

On Saturday, in a miserably tough ride that the riders led successively over the Tourmalet, Col d’Aspin, Peyresourde and to Luchon superbagnères, the will to dominate Pogacar seemed a bit dropped. But when his main rival Jonas Vingegaard tried to get away on the last climb of the day, Pogacar could easily go. In the last meters he sprinted away and grabbed another four seconds. The hole with fingat in two place is now 4 minutes and 13 seconds.

The further consequences of Pogacars Superiority: the number five of the rankings, the Frenchman Kevin Vauquelin, is more than ten minutes. You can double that margin for the number ten, Carlos Rodriguez from Spain. And Arensman, who was the only time to catch on Pogacar, is sixteenth at almost 45 minutes.

Van der Poel is aiming for green

Behind Pogacar, the rest of the peloton and their teams have to look for other goals to drive for. In the battle for the Bolletjestrui for the best climber, now to the shoulders of Lenny Martinez, there are still many opportunities to score points, with three large mountain stages and countless climbs.

For the sprinters, only a flat stage seems to be coming, the seventeenth to Valence. In the intervening journeys, however, there are also (albeit fewer) points for the sprint jersey, in intermediate sprints and at the finish. Mathieu van der Poel showed in the ride on Saturday that he was interested in the Groene Tricot. Behind leader Jonathan Milan, he came in second to the intermediate sprint. The difference between the two riders is now 61 points in favor of the Italian – Pogacar is still in second place.

Many of the classification riders in the top10 will also have enough motivation. For young drivers such as Florian Lipowitz (is third, is 24 years old), Oscar Onley (fourth, 22 years), Tobias Halland Johanessen (eighth, 25 years) and Vauquelin (fifth, 24 years), this is their first, serious chance to end up with the best ten.

With the teams of fellow favorites Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel, at least before the Tour, it was something to be tasted this weekend. “Jonas knows that he did super well in the climb time trial, but there is one better. Then you will accept that,” said team leader Grischa Niermann of Visma-Lease A Bike. “We are still second and we can win many other things. We’re not going to throw that away.”

The Dutch team wants to win stages – “we wanted that for the Tour,” said Niermann – and is the first in the team classification. “That may have become even more important now.” And what should not be forgotten, said the team leader of Vingegaard, “is that a lot of teams would really like to trade with us to have the one -tabid rider of this tour.”

Yet it is difficult to stay motivated when the big goal disappears from sight, they admitted to the bus of Soudal-Quickstep, the team of Evenepoel. “You try to start a clean slate every day, but that’s not easy,” said team leader Tom Steels on Saturday morning. Evenepoel was third at that time. “You have to pick yourself up every time. But we continue to fight for a good classification,” said Steels. Later on Saturday, Evenepoel would get off during the climb of the Tourmalet.

Already good in Vuelta and Giro

Calculated The man who managed to beat Pogacar, just came to the Tour without ambitions for the yellow jersey. Arensman has been considering Dutch ‘best classification rider for a number of years now, and has already been fifth in the Vuelta d’Espana and sixth in the Giro d’Italia. He also won a Vueltarit in 2022.

But for his tour debut – his tenth participation in a big round – Arensman, a good climber and time rider, had a free role from his team. The first week he was mainly busy getting water bottles and keeping his teammates out of the wind. “I mainly wanted to experience what the biggest competition in the world was like. That I can immediately win a stage is very special,” said Arensman afterwards, still surprised about what he had just done.

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“This is how you can make an escape a success, chapeau and hats off to Thymen,” Pogacar said afterwards about the man who stayed ahead. The Slovenian was not surprisingly satisfied with the Trio Pyrenees rides and the lead he has built up in the general classification.

Arensman had it in the fog of Luchon superbagnères in the meantime about tomorrow, when a transition ride to Carcassonne is on the program. “That’s a great opportunity for our team.” He then did not expect to be in the front. “I’m quite wrong now. First some champagne tonight.” Is there then more possible, such as the mountain sweater, now that the Dutchman is in top form? “That is not a priority,” Arensman helped that idea immediately. “But I hope another stage.”

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