Thymen Arensman of Ineos Grenadiers delivered a stunning performance to claim victory in stage 19 of the Tour de France, a shortened 93.1km mountainous route from Albertville to La Plagne.
The 25-year-old Dutch secured his second stage win of the 2025 Tour, outpacing giants Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard in a thrilling finale.
The stage, abbreviated due to a cattle disease outbreak, featured a grueling 19.1km hors catégorie climb to La Plagne. Arensman seized his moment with a daring solo attack 13km from the finish, capitalizing on a tactical hesitation between Pogacar and Vingegaard. Despite a shrinking lead in the final kilometer, he held on by a mere two seconds, collapsing in exhaustion and joy at the finish line.
“I’m absolutely destroyed,” Arensman said. “To win against the strongest riders in the world feels like I’m dreaming.”
Arensman’s bold move came after he bridged to the leading duo following Pogacar’s attack, then launched his own decisive counterattack.
“I just didn’t take no for an answer,” Arensman said, reflecting on his battle against the “almost alien” strength of Pogacar and Vingegaard.
A fierce showdown for the stage and the podium 🤯
Hear from Zak Dempster, Matt Winston and Enrico Gasparotto as they reflect on Thymen Arensman’s win and the tense GC battle for third, with just 22 seconds separating Florian Lipowitz and Oscar Onley at the start of the day. pic.twitter.com/NXZKERRrVf
— Velon CC (@VelonCC) July 25, 2025
