ProTeam Arnaud De Lie: “I also surprised myself this week”

The 20-year-old concludes a really successful Etoile de Bessèges in 7th place overall.
Race 05 February 2023

Lotto Dstny rider Arnaud De Lie has concluded the five-day French stage race Etoile de Bessèges with a seventh place overall. With a strong ascent of the Mont Bouquet in the queen stage, Arnaud De Lie started the closing time trial in 5th place on the general classification.

De Lie again gave his all and stopped the clock after a ten-kilometre effort with an uphill finish at 16’36”. The stage win was for Mads Pedersen, who set a time of 15’25”. Eventually, De Lie ended an impressive Etoile de Bessèges with a seventh place in the final standings, Neilson Powless took the overall victory with the smallest of margins. With two stage victories, the points jersey and a seventh place overall, the Lotto Dstny rider can look back on a really successful Etoile de Bessèges.

Arnaud De Lie: “This was only my second time trial at the pros but we prepared it meticulously to set the best time possible. Despite it’s not my specialty, I think we still achieved our mission. I am happy with this performance.”

“The original goal of this week was to win one stage. The two stage victories, points jersey and seventh place overall also surprised me, to be honest. I can say this was an extraordinary performance, as the course – especially with the steep climb of Mount Bouquet, was not really my cup of tea. I can’t repeat it enough, but this wouldn’t have been possible without a strong Lotto Dstny team which perfectly supported me. We have made a good start to the year and want to continue that way.”

The next race on the schedule of the 20-year-old Belgian will be the Spanish one-day race Clasica Almeria.

“Personally, this strong start to the season gives me a lot of confidence for the races to come. But now it’s time for a few days of rest after these five intense days of racing. Then, I will build up again towards the GP Almeria and the first race on Belgian soil: Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne”, concludes De Lie.

Images: Nicolas Mabyle - DirectVelo.

In this article