Teams & Riders Arnaud De Lie is De Truth Discussion Thread

[yaco]

A DNF at Paris-Tours for De Lie - anyone know why, crash, puncture, or did his bike just disentegrate under him this time?
He's still down for Guangxi and looking at the profiles, could win any of the 6 stages.

He'll need to be going well to defeat Koij in the sprints.

 

[tobydawq]

He'll need to be going well to defeat Koij in the sprints.

He also has no chance on stage 4.

 

[Rob5091]

10 wins in 2023 - not bad for a Pro-team 21 year old sprinter. Next Spring should be interesting so hopefully injury free in 2024.

 

[Rob5091]

De Lie after his crash realizes his career could be over every time he races, so he wants to do it all ... and soon! Tour, Vuelta, Olympics ... but going up against the best of the best might be fun, but winning (apart from maybe a stage or two) will be hard.

https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...eason-to-try-to-get-that-little-extra-percent

"There will be many opportunities; the Tour de France is certainly a dream. The Vuelta a Espana also appeals to me because there are often short, powerful finishes (he refers to the climbs, ed.). But I'll wait to see the routes, making a decision now is a bit premature," he adds. "The [Olympic] Games are a goal for me, I would like to participate. The event only takes place every four years, and I think being an Olympian is something special. I hope I will be in good shape by then, because that is necessary. And I hope that national coach Sven Vanthourenhout and the Belgian team will have confidence in me."

 

[Berniece]

I can’t see him win a stage at the tour yet, and also find it a bit premature if you are this young and haven’t ridden a GT yet. But it’ll be the best preparation for the Olympics and that I can see him win but not sure he’ll be selected. You can’t go with 3 leaders out of 4 riders

 

[Salvarani]

I can’t see him win a stage at the tour yet, and also find it a bit premature if you are this young and haven’t ridden a GT yet. But it’ll be the best preparation for the Olympics and that I can see him win but not sure he’ll be selected. You can’t go with 3 leaders out of 4 riders

Olympics will likely be Remco, Lampaert, Van Aert and Benoot for Belgium. Unless Remco wants to go in all for the ITT.

However, with the course I would rate Van Wilder over Lampaert tbf. I guess Remco decides though.

 

[yaco]

He can win a stage if he gets the right stage profile - Ideally you will ride the GT that gives you three or four possibilities.

 

[Netserk]

Olympics will likely be Remco, Lampaert, Van Aert and Benoot for Belgium. Unless Remco wants to go in all for the ITT.

However, with the course I would rate Van Wilder over Lampaert tbf. I guess Remco decides though.

I'd rather pick Evenepoel, Van Aert, Philipsen and Vermeersch.

 

[Salvarani]

I'd rather pick Evenepoel, Van Aert, Philipsen and Vermeersch.

Yeah, but you know... politics.

 

[Netserk]

Yeah, but you know... politics.

I sure hope Van Aert doesn't insist on a Visma teammate. Even Campenaerts would be a much better pick.

 

[Salvarani]

I sure hope Van Aert doesn't insist on a Visma teammate. Even Campenaerts would be a much better pick.

Im pretty sure both Remco and Van Aert will want to have one guy each.

Benoot was very good last year tbf. He is all-round and would do well on this course imo.

 

[Berniece]

I'd rather pick Evenepoel, Van Aert, Philipsen and Vermeersch.

Would be 3 leaders again. I would only pick 2 out of Evenepoel/WVA/Philipsen/De Lie, and then 2 helpers. Is it also the case for the olympics that if you ride the ITT you need to ride the RR? In that case it'll be Evenepoel and WVA. I see Philipsen being dropped anyway, just like he did this year at the WC RR. It's not as difficult as this year, less altitude meters, but still 2800.

Or just take 4 people and go free for all, everyone and no one is a leader.

 

[yaco]

Nah - The Olympics will be a different race with small numbers for each country - You only need one domestic in a four rider team because attacks will go off left, right and centre, and therefore it will be too difficult to control the race.

 

[Rob5091]

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ar...ssics-win-and-possible-olympic-berth-in-2024/
Same interview
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...d-de-lie-dreams-big-into-2024-spring-classics

“My main goal will be to have a nice Flemish spring. I'm thinking of top 10, top 5 in the major races. And why not win in a Dwars door Vlaanderen, Gent-Wevelgem or Omloop Het Nieuwsblad?" De Lie says in words to Sporza.

(Sounds sensible to me - everthing afterwards is a bonus, GT, Olympics. etc and the moment when De Lie showed how good he is uphill -

https://twitter.com/x/status/1716186539850387659

View: https://twitter.com/i/status/1716186539850387659
)

 

[proffate]

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ar...ssics-win-and-possible-olympic-berth-in-2024/
Same interview
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...d-de-lie-dreams-big-into-2024-spring-classics

“My main goal will be to have a nice Flemish spring. I'm thinking of top 10, top 5 in the major races. And why not win in a Dwars door Vlaanderen, Gent-Wevelgem or Omloop Het Nieuwsblad?" De Lie says in words to Sporza.

(Sounds sensible to me - everthing afterwards is a bonus, GT, Olympics. etc and the moment when De Lie showed how good he is uphill -

https://twitter.com/x/status/1716186539850387659

View: https://twitter.com/i/status/1716186539850387659
)

That doesn't actually seem like that many w/kg for that duration, compared to how we see him blow others away on camera. I'd have expected more. Is it just that he can do that after a tough race? Because I'm pretty sure lots of cx pros can do many bursts like that one.

 

[Rob5091]

https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...according-to-lotto-dstny-boss-stephane-heulot
50% chance of doing the Tour, but there's also the Olympics. No Giro so De Lie can concentrate on the Spring Classics. Might do the Vuelta but depends on the parcours.
Hope he gets to do the Olympics but there's a lot of competition for the places.

 

[Berniece]

https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...according-to-lotto-dstny-boss-stephane-heulot
50% chance of doing the Tour, but there's also the Olympics. No Giro so De Lie can concentrate on the Spring Classics. Might do the Vuelta but depends on the parcours.
Hope he gets to do the Olympics but there's a lot of competition for the places.

He’s really advocating for that Olympic Games spot. Would only bring him if he gets the leadership over WVA

 

[yaco]

https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...according-to-lotto-dstny-boss-stephane-heulot
50% chance of doing the Tour, but there's also the Olympics. No Giro so De Lie can concentrate on the Spring Classics. Might do the Vuelta but depends on the parcours.
Hope he gets to do the Olympics but there's a lot of competition for the places.

My take is that Lotto will again decline their wildcard to the TDF - Think the TDF route is more suitable than the Giro for De Lie but I would wait until the Vuelta route is released.

 

[Rob5091]

Some sensible conclusions from De Lie and another hint about the Olympics (which is 273 km and 2,800 m of climbing).
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...focus-on-bunch-sprints-and-more-into-classics
The leader of Lotto Dstny seeks to continue performing in the cobbled and hilly classics and will not further prioritize bunch sprints for the time being.

"One of the observations this season is that I still lack experience on a really flat sprint. It's not what I prefer to do either, I prefer to sprint on a more difficult finish after a complicated and exhausting race," De Lie said in words shared with Het Laatse Nieuws. "In this type of race, I won almost everything in 2023."

He's gone head to head with pure sprinters on a few occasions but did not thrive, however in the more hilly terrain he resists well and packs an extremely strong punch. This versatility sees him as more of a classics rider. “On punchy finishes, where freshness plays a crucial role more than pure speed, I am not the best, this status belongs more to Van der Poel, Van Aert or Pogacar."

 

[Rob5091]

He's not in Monaco, he's not in Spain, he's already doing a recon of Tour of Flanders (and probably still working on the farm).

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View: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0FSrpCIxFu/


https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...rnaud-de-lie-for-tour-of-flanders-early-recon

De Lie marked out the Belgian cobbled monument as one of his goals for the 2024 season, where he would love to breakthrough at the big scene. On the video shared by Museeuw, we see the three riders heading up Kruisberg, one of the decisive section of the race and hear him commenting: "It's winter and they are already here, reconing the Tour of Flanders. It starts early!"

 

[Rob5091]

Spring in Belgium, Summer in France and no Giro -
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/lo...024-and-send-arnaud-de-lie-to-tour-de-france/
De Lie has himself stated that winning a big one-day Classic is more important to him than a Grand Tour stage win, but he will be Lotto Dstny's best hope of achieving success come the Tour next year.

 

[Rob5091]

Get out the popcorn, don't worry about Vingecar or Pogagaard, Arnaud's doing the Tour. He might not win but it'll be entertaining.
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...-make-grand-tour-debut-at-2024-tour-de-france

 

[Berniece]

Get out the popcorn, don't worry about Vingecar or Pogagaard, Arnaud's doing the Tour. He might not win but it'll be entertaining.
https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling...-make-grand-tour-debut-at-2024-tour-de-france

1 year older, I’m eager to see how he’ll perform at the biggest stage. A stage win would be more than enough and already amazing.

 

[Rob5091]

Stage 8 looks good for De Lie - if he can hold on to the last km
https://www.cyclingstage.com/tour-de-france-2024-route/stage-8-tdf-2024/

The final kilometre goes up at 3%.

 

[RedheadDane]

Not entirely sure what he's doing...