2023-08-14 06:10:00
It will become a game for his growing number of supporters: what will Arnaud De Lie do when he crosses the finish line for his next victory? After having mimed Taurus several times, referring to his nickname, he varied the pleasures during these last successes. Like when he imitated Cristiano Ronaldo’s “Siuuuuuuu” by winning at Walcourt, on the last Tour de Wallonie. This Sunday, on the Polynormande, where he had plenty of time to savor his sixth victory of the season, won in the sprint of a reduced peloton, he held his chin. For what ?
“It comes from a joke with my teammates, he explains, laughing. I have a little beard, here, in France, and they made fun of me… They challenged me: if I won, I had to refer to this little beard…”
And he kept his word! This promises a hell of a duo, Tuesday, on the Tour de Louvain, his next race, where he will be associated with the outgoing winner, Victor Campenaerts, who loves to wear … a mustache!
To clinch his sixth victory of the season this Sunday (following the GP of Valence, two stages of the Étoile de Bessèges, the Morbihan Trophy and a stage of the Tour de Wallonie), Arnaud De Lie hung on in the bumps before to settle in a sprint a peloton which had only regarding thirty elements left. “I am very satisfied with this new success, commented the rider from Lotto-Dstny. I started out with a lot of ambition, but it wasn’t easy to win. The breakaways were very fast, we had to drive to catch them, but my teammates managed it. Then there were more attacks, including that of Guillaume Martin on a climb. I really had to give everything to hang on.”
His teammate Cédric Beullens, to whom he is very close, was still with him at the end of the race. “Cédric was then at the front, in an offensive, which allowed me to be in an armchair”, he adds. Everything came together for the home stretch and Arnaud De Lie produced his effort 300 meters from the line, clearly winning ahead of Valentin Ferron.
This new success confirms what he had shown on the last Tour de Wallonie: he is back to his best level following his heavy fall suffered in May, on the Four Days of Dunkirk. This promises a solid end to the season for the Walloon. Who dreams of a first success in the World Tour for his second year with the pros. From next week, on the Renewi Tour, the new name of the Benelux Tour? To be continued !
“A dream that comes true”: the emotion of Lotte Kopecky, in tears, following her title of world champion
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