2023-09-11 05:46:00
”Well done mate, it’s a great win! It was worth coming here, you see…” When boarding one of the buses that transported the runners from Quebec to Montreal on Saturday morning, Julian Alaphilippe wanted to come and congratulate Arnaud De Lie once once more for his success in the Quebec GP. If the words of the double world champion say a lot regarding the popularity of the Walloon in the peloton, they also reflect the respect that the Lotto-Dstny rider has earned among his peers through his first WorldTour bouquet. A step which owes nothing to chance and transformed the Bull of Lescheret into the Ox of Canada.
Un leadership naturel
Hosted in a single hotel in both Quebec and Montreal, the entire caravan of the two Canadian Grand Prix coexists in the same facilities for almost a week. A privileged context in which we quickly deciphered the atmosphere which reigns at the table of the teams installed in the immense dining room. And where some people preferred their smartphone to cutlery in a cathedral silence, there was a lot of laughter in the Lotto-Dstny corner.
The Lotto-Dstny runners gathered around the table football. ©DR
“There is an excellent atmosphere in the team,” confirms Maxim Van Gils. During the few downtimes of our Quebec days, we killed time around the table football installed by the organization in a relaxation room or went for a little walk in town. We enjoy spending time together.”
His teammate Harry Sweeny transformed himself into Arnaud De Lie’s hairdresser. ©DR
A natural osmosis to which the personality of Arnaud De Lie is no stranger. “It’s true that he’s a very sociable guy, who talks and laughs with everyone without distinction,” says the Dutchman Pascal Eenkhoorn. Harry (Sweeny, another teammate) even became a hairdresser in Canada to fix his haircut (laughs). Arnaud has a form of natural leadership that he never had to force and was legitimately built over the months.”
A course at altitude and 1.5 kilos less
Victim of a very heavy fall during the 4 Days of Dunkirk in mid-May, the Taureau de Lescheret patiently rebuilt himself to head for Livigno where he completed the first altitude training course of his career for three weeks in July.
“Arnaud reacted very well to this exhibition, confides Jeroen Dingemans, the head coach of the Lotto-Dstny team. This period constituted an extremely important block of work for the latter part of the season and constituted a new stage in his progression. We know how important the contribution of this type of stay has become in the run-up to the biggest events for the best runners in the world.”
An increasingly meticulous approach that the Ardennese wanted to be progressive. “When I turned pro, I wasn’t sure regarding all the details because I wanted to maintain room for improvement. During the classics, I remember that everyone said that I was a little fat but the fat one has now won the GP of Quebec (laughs)… A rider also has a head and I don’t want my career to be ruined. lasts only five years. I want to last and I try to do things better and better as the months go by.”
Very rigorous in his approach to his profession, the Lotto-Dstny rider has sharpened his skills in recent weeks. “He lost around 1.5 kilos,” explains Dingemans. He applies the advice of our nutritionist team very seriously.”
In 30-second efforts, he is already one of the best in the world.”
A fan of video analysis
On the sidelines of the interview he gave us last Tuesday at Charles De Gaulles airport, Arnaud De Lie deciphered the Quebec circuit which he had never covered with impressive mastery. “I have already watched almost all the editions on YoutTube,” the Walloon whispered to us with a smile.
Passionate regarding video analysis, the Ardennes resident immerses himself in the images both before and following the races. “This allows him to accelerate his learning, judges Cherie Pridham, the sports director of the Belgian team in the Quebec races. I was in the car at the last Hamburg GP at the end of which Arnaud (7th) was very frustrated with himself because he probably hadn’t had the best timing in his sprint. He reviewed the images several times to understand what he might improve. And as Arnaud is a very intelligent young boy who learns quickly…”
Specific work on the long sprint
If some riders hide part of their data when sharing some of their outings on the Strava platform, Arnaud De Lie allowed free access to his power values following the Quebec GP. To win at the end of the Grande Allée, the Taureau de Lescheret developed an average of 1150 watts (!) during the last 20 seconds.
“It’s a lot but it didn’t really surprise me when I saw the figures,” smiles Jeroen Dingemans. Efforts of around 30 seconds are Arnaud’s specialty and we work on this natural quality in training. In recent weeks he has improved his records several times and today, with efforts of this nature following a difficult race, I think I can say that he is already one of the best runners in the world. He is in the best shape of his young career.”
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Arnaud resembles Wout in terms of his qualities but also his way of running.”
Confidence in one’s means and tactical maturity
A status as a long sprint leader of which De Lie is aware. “Even if I didn’t win there (7th), it was during the Hamburg Classic (August 20) that I understood that I was perhaps the best in the world in this type of effort. My success on the Polynormande had also boosted my confidence in my abilities on demanding finishes like that of Quebec. At the start of the season, I informed my management of my desire to travel for these two Canadian races because I knew the final of the first of the two Grands Prix would be conducive to my qualities. As we no longer play in the WorldTour, this represented a significant financial investment for the team (Editor’s note: the compensation of 7,000 euros does not cover all costs, the expenses of the D1 teams are fully covered). ”
A confidence in his means that the Walloon now doubles with greater tactical maturity. “Before the races as well as during them, Arnaud is calmer, judges his teammate Pascal Eenkhoorn. I raced for five years with Jumbo-Visma and there are clearly similarities between Wout van Aert and him in their speed qualities at the end of a difficult race but also in their way of running. Arnaud is only 21 and is still in a learning process but things often move quickly with him…”
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