Once again, Arnaud De Lie (22) hits the mark. He secures his third victory of the season at the Circuit de Wallonie.
Four races since his return to the peloton, four times podium: what a comeback for Arnaud De Lie. Following wins in Famenne, Tro Bro Leon, and a third-place finish in Morbihan, the bull from Lescheret adds a third victory to his track record this season. This afternoon, he sprinted to victory in Charleroi at the Circuit de Wallonie. “We executed a great sprint,” a happy De Lie recounts. “Lionel Taminiaux launched me, and we still had Milan Menten as a ‘backup’. That’s luxury. I waited and unleashed at the right moment.”
Lotto Dstny set the pace all day. The team could maintain control continuously. De Lie himself made a move 65 kilometers from the finish, on the steep Rue Toffette, but the race ultimately resulted in the expected mass sprint. “I don’t know how many kilometers Victor (Campenaerts) spent in the front, but it was impressive (laughs). What fantastic teamwork again today. Being able to reward and thank all my teammates with a victory means a lot.”
The spell of Lyme disease seems definitively broken for De Lie. “I feel like it’s thanks to that break that I’m strong today. I made significant strides during that absence, especially mentally. My fitness is also improving steadily, so I look forward to what’s to come.”
