Thymen Arensman has joined a distinguished group of Dutch riders by virtue of his two stage victories in the Tour de France. The rider is the first Dutchman in seven years to win a stage twice in the same Tour de France.
The 25-year-old Arensman achieved his first stage victory in the Tour last Saturday. The rider from Deil in Gelderland was the best after a 35-kilometer solo in a grueling stage through the Pyrenees.
On Friday, Arensman struck again. The Tour debutant from INEOS Grenadiers held on to a few seconds over Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar after a thrilling final phase on the Alpine giant La Plagne.
With these stage successes, Arensman joins many Dutch cycling icons who also won two stages in one Tour. Dylan Groenewegen was the last Dutchman to achieve this until Friday. The sprinter won the seventh and eighth stages in 2018.
In the previous century, many Dutch riders secured two or more stage victories in the same Tour. Wout Wagtmans was the first to achieve two victories in 1953. Joop Zoetemelk, Gerrie Knetemann, and Jan Raas are the Dutch record holders in the Tour with a total of ten victories.
In theory, Arensman can still take two victories in this Tour, but there is no more high mountain terrain in the last stages. A hilly stage is on the program for Saturday. On Sunday, the peloton will conclude the Tour on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.