The Dutch rider from Netcompany Ineos arrived late at the starting gate of stage 16, but still managed to finish fifth, just five seconds behind the leader.
Thymen Arensman (Netcompany Ineos) experienced moments of pure chaos before the start of the individual time trial of stage 16 of the 2026 Tour de France : the Dutch rider missed his official start time of 4:25:30 PM, arriving at the launch ramp about ten seconds late, in a panic. The scene was surreal: the race marshal in charge of keeping him at the start was also late, and the two nearly collided in the race to the ramp.
According to UCI regulations, Arensman was forced to stop at the start line and started about 15 seconds behind his official time slot. Before pushing on the pedals, he waved his arm in frustration, visibly annoyed by what had happened. However, he then put his anger aside and focused on the race: a 26.1km time trial with a breathtaking view of Lake Geneva.
The result? Extraordinarily positive. Arensman finished just five seconds behind the fastest time set by Mattia Cattaneo (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), a margin well within his starting time. At the first intermediate time check, he was actually fourth fastest. A performance that demonstrates the Dutchman's remarkable time trial prowess.
Sports journalist and cycling enthusiast, following professional cycling for over 10 years. Collaborates with FantaCycling to bring you the best analysis and news from the world of cycling.
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