ProTeam Impressive De Lie wins opening stage Etoile de Bessèges

Lotto Dstny rider Arnaud De Lie won the opening stage of the Etoile de Bessèges in impressive fashion. The 20-year-old Belgian impressed on a finish suited for punchers. On the steep slopes towards the finish, De Lie answered an acceleration of Mads Pedersen, passed the Danish former world champion just before entering the final straight and secured his second victory of the season. De Lie is also the first leader in the five-day stage race in the south of France.

The opening stage was immediately marked by echelons as the bunch split into several pieces at around 60 kilometres from the finish. Lotto Dstny stayed attentive and was present in the front group with four riders: Liam Slock, Sébastien Grignard, Brent Van Moer and Arnaud De Lie. At ten kilometres from the finish, a sizeable group returned as the bunch rushed towards Bellegarde, where a punchy finish awaited. After a fine lead-out by Lotto Dstny and an ultimate pull by Jasper De Buyst, it was Pedersen who attacked. De Lie took the wheel of the Danish former world champion, accelerated going into the final corner and sprinted to victory in impressive fashion. Mads Pedersen finished second, Benoit Cosnefroy third.

Arnaud De Lie: “It is fantastic to start the season with such a shape and already two wins. But this wouldn’t be possible without a strong Lotto Dstny team behind me. I am really thankful to my teammates because they really raced by the book today. When the bunch split to pieces far from the finish, we were in the lead group with four guys. In the end, also Jasper De Buyst joined and we took the initiative in the peloton during the final kilometres. My teammates really delivered the perfect lead-out.”

“We did a recon of this finish past Monday and I already noticed that it flattened out a bit at 500 metres from the finish. Right there, Mads Pedersen launched his attack. I held onto his wheel and felt strong enough to pass him and sprint towards the finish. It felt great to win that way. This Etoile de Bessèges is already a success with this stage win, but there are some nice opportunities in the next two days. And with this team spirit, a lot more is possible”, concludes Arnaud De Lie.

Images: Nicolas Mabyle - DirectVelo / Ekoi Cycling - Bastien Lemaire