It happened not far below the top of the Sierra Nevada, on a closing climb that was feared by the whole pack. 19.3 kilometers long, with a gradient of more than twenty percent in some parts. There, seven kilometers from the finish line and at an altitude of 2,500 meters, Thymen Arensman overtook leader Marc Soler. “It looked like he was waiting for me,” said Arensman after the finish. “Marc is such a good rider and I wondered if I could handle him. But everyone was at their limit at that stage. I thought: I’ll just try it.”
The solo led to the first stage victory in a big cycling round for Thymen Arensman (Team DSM). In the Giro d’Italia he was already close to a stage win in the tough mountain stage over the Mortirolo, but then it just didn’t work out. Now the 22-year-old rider from Beesd, actually to his own surprise, crossed the line first in the toughest Vuelta stage. “It’s hard to believe, it still has to descend,” said Arensman, who entered the top-10 of the general classification and is now eighth at more than seven minutes from classification leader Remco Evenepoel (Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl).
Evenepoel remains in the red
The foundation for his victory was laid earlier in the day, when Arensman joined an early leading group. It had just under thirty riders, including Australian Rohan Dennis and Sam Oomen from Jumbo-Visma. Classification leader Evenepoel, who had lost some time on his competitors on Saturday, also had two teammates in the front. Arensman was the best classified rider in the leading group: eleventh at more than nine minutes from Evenepoel.
While Wilco Kelderman had crashed in the peloton – he could continue – Australian Jay Vine was the first to pass the top on the first col, of the third category. The wearer of the mountain jersey also succeeded on the Alto del Purche, of the first category.
Oomen and Dennis dropped back from the leading group to support Roglic for a while. Towards the final climb, twelve riders remained at the front. On the only mountain of the outdoor category, this Vuelta, the Spaniard Soler from that group was the first attacker. In the group behind, Jumbo, the team of number two Primoz Roglic, immediately put Evenepoel under pressure. The Belgian did not flinch, until first Enric Mas (Movistar) and then Roglic drove away from him. Mas eventually took 42 seconds off his backlog and is third at 2.01 minutes. Slovenian Roglic took about fifteen seconds back on Evenepoel, who still has a lead of more than a minute and a half and keeps the red jersey.
Breakthrough
For Arensman, all that mattered less. He experienced the definitive breakthrough of his career in the Sierra Nevada. It has been known for some time that Arensman is talented. Typical for this was his second place in the Tour l’Avenir (Tour of the Future) in 2018, a stage race known as a breeding ground for round talent. The later Tour winner Tadej Pogačcar won the round for Arensman that year.
This year Arensman drives remarkably well. In the Tirreno-Adriatico he finished sixth, he finished third in the Tour of the Alps and won a time trial in the Tour of Poland.
Sports director Matt Winston praised the performance of his young rider, who always had to sacrifice himself in previous big rounds for leader Romain Bardet, but can now also go for his own success. “I said first and foremost he should enjoy this victory,” Winston said Eurosport. Arensman’s attack was planned, he said, although not without reservation. “It was a plan to the extent that we would see if the leading group was interesting enough in terms of composition to go along. It turned out so. Thymen is also doing good business for the standings, we’ll see how that continues next week.”
Arensman himself had no idea that he could win the stage, he said afterwards. “I didn’t even feel great, but apparently the others had it even harder” […] Everyone was talking about this ride, unbelievable that I can win here.”
Monday will be a rest day in the Vuelta, which started in the Netherlands this year. After that there are two relatively flat stages and two more mountain stages. The Vuelta a España ends in Madrid on Sunday.