The Belgian will perhaps be the star of this Tour de France among the sprinters.
He will be the headliner of the Lotto Dstny team. Arnaud De Lie will compete, at 22, in his first Tour de France with great ambitions after winning the Belgian road championship, but without pressure as indicated by his sports manager.Arnaud goes to the Tour without any pressure, since it is his first participation, we have no expectations of him. He goes there to learn and gain experience. Of course there are stages that suit him, and in the sprints, he can try his luck, but without any imperative.”
The Belgian, back at the top, has had major health problems in recent months, particularly affected by Lyme disease. Not at the level he was at the beginning of the year, the Belgian was simply ill. Lyme disease or Lyme borreliosis, is transmitted during a tick bite infected with a borrelia, a bacterium from the spirochete family. The infection is often without symptoms but can in some cases lead to a sometimes disabling disease as explained by Santé Publique France. Rarely fatal, it can cause flu-like symptoms, including muscle and joint pain, headaches, nausea and vomiting. Now cured, the Belgian has been winning since his return, particularly in the Belgian championship.
A prestigious title in the Belgian championship
Perhaps the most competitive national championship with a pretty incredible line-up of sprinters. But at the end of the event, the young rider was crowned under the noses of Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Green Jersey of the last Tour de France, and Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe), winner on the Champs-Élysées last year. Wout Van Aert (Visma-Lease a bike took 5th place.I feel liberated, I really have no words for it. It’s the most beautiful jersey in the peloton and I’m going to be able to wear it for a year. It’s incredible. I really want to show this jersey, and start soon on the Tour de France” said the Belgian.
Already many victories
In 2024, the Lotto sprinter already has 4 victories, including the Tro Bro Leon and the Circuit de Wallonie. In 2023, Arnaud De Lie recorded numerous victories, including 2 on the Etoile de Bessèges, the Tour de Wallonie and the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec.