Dutch cycling journalist Thijs Zonneveld has criticized Demi Vollering for using artificial intelligence to create a LinkedIn post about Thymen Arensman's media boycott at the Giro d'Italia.
Speaking on the In de Waaier podcast on May 27, 2026, Zonneveld accused Vollering of exploiting the situation for online engagement.
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Arensman, currently third in the general classification, faced scrutiny after refusing interviews with analysts and race organizers.
Zonneveld noted that Arensman initially struggled with pressure during the opening week but later became more open in conversations.
The journalist revealed that Arensman agreed to speak with him but directed the request to his team, Netcompany INEOS, which did not respond.
Zonneveld expressed frustration over the team's lack of communication regarding the rider's professional media obligations.
He said Arensman gave uninterested answers immediately after races, suggesting the rider might prefer to tell his story later.
However, the lack of communication from the team escalated the situation, Zonneveld added.
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The commentator directed his strongest criticism toward Vollering, who posted about Arensman on LinkedIn.
Vollering argued that vulnerability in interviews is often reduced to mere headlines, causing the nuance of emotion to disappear.
Zonneveld pointed out that Arensman's decision to remain unavailable for the first week and a half was not about showing vulnerability.
He argued that the ongoing discussion had nothing to do with Arensman being forbidden from showing emotion.
Zonneveld said Vollering was using Arensman to score clicks, and that the post was generated by AI.
He called the post a simulated text addressing a non-existent issue, achieving the opposite of her intended effect.
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Zonneveld concluded that if Vollering wanted to support Arensman, she should have spoken genuinely about the difficulty of showing vulnerability.
