Cycling
Arnaud De Lie (21) will not start in Milan-Sanremo on Saturday. The Lotto-Dstny leader will instead ride the Denain GP on Thursday and the Bredene Koksijde Classic on Friday. The change in his program comes after a fall in La Samyn and his retirement in Paris-Nice.
Michael Van Damme, Jan-Pieter De Vlieger, Hugo Coorevits
Yesterday at 3:05 PM
“Simple, to play in Sanremo, Arnaud must be one hundred percent.” The Lotto-Dstny staff discussed De Lie’s program yesterday afternoon, but according to sporting manager Kurt Van de Wouwer, the choice not to travel to Italy was quickly made.
“After his crash in the GP Samyn, there was already doubt about sending Arnaud to Paris-Nice,” he says. “Because he felt better the days before, he still started there. In the end he still suffered too much.”
Lotto-Dsnty withdrew De Lie from Paris-Nice after stage three and now opts for a ‘Flemish’ program. No Sanremo, but GP Denain (March 14) and Bredene Koksijde Classic (March 15). “Arnaud was certainly able to complete good training again this weekend,” said Van de Wouwer. “He is not yet 100 percent, but in the races he is currently riding, that does not have to be the case to play a significant role.”
It is a complex start to the 2024 season for De Lie. Although he was one of the standouts in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, he has not yet won a race. Due to the fall in Le Samyn, the preparation for the rest of the Flemish spring is now far from ideal. “That fall caused a mental dent for a while,” said Van de Wouwer. “But we are not worried about the coming weeks.”
Youthful sin
Former rider Nathan Van Hooydonck, among others, questioned the wisdom of fielding De Lie in Le Samyn. He talked about sponsorship interests that might play a role, as the race is part of the Lotto Cycling Cup. “Ridiculous,” said Van de Wouwer. “It was a choice of the team and of Arnaud to ride Le Samyn. Sponsor interests did not play a role at all. Those are nails on low water.”
After his fall, however, De Lie could be seen shouting at the support car ‘what am I doing in this shitty race!’. “A youthful sin,” says Van de Wouwer. “Arnaud is still young and still learning to deal with the pressure. It was a moment of disappointment in a race from which he had expected a lot.”
De Lie will be replaced in the Lotto selection for Milan-Sanremo by Pascal Eenkhoorn. Maxim Van Gils – third in Strade Bianche – is now playing as the leader. “Maxim must be able to handle the Sanremo course perfectly,” concludes Van de Wouwer.
