Egan Bernal and Thymen Arensman limit losses but can’t match the best on Giro d’Italia’s first GC test

Netcompany Ineos’ two-pronged Giro d’Italia GC attack took a dent on stage 7, when both Egan Bernal and Thymen Arensman lost time on the first summit finish to Blockhaus.

Given his previous struggles on stage 4, it was perhaps not surprising to see Bernal drop first, early on on the climb to Blockhaus before eventual winner Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) even really accelerated.

Bernal, despite slipping back from his main GC rivals quite early on, noted physical improvements after stage 4’s issues that saw him suffering with a rapid heart rate.

“Good, pretty normal,” he said of his feelings after the climb, speaking to various outlets including Cycling Pro Net. “I feel better than the previous days, so I think I’m improving every day.”

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However, it was clear that struggling early on really cost him, and Ineos’ two-pronged approach meant he had no teammates to help him.

“I tried to find my own pace, but I was immediately alone and there was a lot of wind, so I lost a lot of time because I couldn’t shelter from the wind behind anyone,” he said.

Returning to the shorter, punchier climbs on stage 8, Bernal has plenty of chances for redemption and perhaps even a stage win in the remainder of this race, but when it comes to the overall GC, Arensman is struggling less and the better time trialist, signs are firmly pointing to two prongs becoming just one at Netcompany Ineos.

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