Teams & Riders Arnaud De Lie is De Truth Discussion Thread

[Samamba]

You guys are seriously misinterpreting his words. He has gotten the question multiple times this year already, and answered it perfectly to Walloon press in January. It's not that he just doesn't think he can win, he also doesn't think he can top 5 or top 10. He doesn't think he can follow what's left of the peloton on the Cipressa, it's that simple. He knows what he needs to be able to put out to follow and he knows he doesn't hit those number. I see comparisons to Philipsen, but he's a way better climber than De Lie. The only scenario where he has a chance at some result in MSR is if there's a serious headwind or something happens tho he stars which would make change the race completely.

I really don't see what's weird about that thought process at all.

Getting dropped at the base of the Cipressa is better exposure than dodging and getting into trouble for headbutts in Belgian 1.1 races foreigners think aren't even real

I know you like taking the piss, but this is just factually untrue btw. His only exposure would be hate for failing from the same people that now say he absolutely needs to be at the start of that race. Just like in 2023, when people memed him for dropping like a stone on Cipressa. Exposure wise MSR does absolutely nothing for his team, it might sound weird to you but yes, for Intermarché specifically battling for the win in GP Denain does more than riding MSR. He'll get one sentence in a newspaper somewhere if he rides MSR and doesn't do anything special.

Indeed. Is he going to line up at De Ronde, E3 or Roubaix? Think he even has less chance than at MSR. Best he on rides PT races then

Just a dumb argument, also taking the piss. You know there's plenty of other reasons why he cares more about these races. And yes, in general these races suit him way better than MSR, with the way that race is raced nowadays. Ofc he's not winning, but thats not the point.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Very funny that some of the same posters who lambast this era because Pogacar and Van der Poel are invincible are also some of the posters lambasting De Lie for drawing the exact same conclusion.

 

[Red Rick]

You guys are seriously misinterpreting his words. He has gotten the question multiple times this year already, and answered it perfectly to Walloon press in January. It's not that he just doesn't think he can win, he also doesn't think he can top 5 or top 10. He doesn't think he can follow what's left of the peloton on the Cipressa, it's that simple. He knows what he needs to be able to put out to follow and he knows he doesn't hit those number. I see comparisons to Philipsen, but he's a way better climber than De Lie. The only scenario where he has a chance at some result in MSR is if there's a serious headwind or something happens tho he stars which would make change the race completely.

I really don't see what's weird about that thought process at all.



I know you like taking the piss, but this is just factually untrue btw. His only exposure would be hate for failing from the same people that now say he absolutely needs to be at the start of that race. Just like in 2023, when people memed him for dropping like a stone on Cipressa. Exposure wise MSR does absolutely nothing for his team, it might sound weird to you but yes, for Intermarché specifically battling for the win in GP Denain does more than riding MSR. He'll get one sentence in a newspaper somewhere if he rides MSR and doesn't do anything special.



Just a dumb argument, also taking the piss. You know there's plenty of other reasons why he cares more about these races. And yes, in general these races suit him way better than MSR, with the way that race is raced nowadays. Ofc he's not winning, but thats not the point.

I guess it's my duty to meme him tenfold for doding even racing then.

 

[Samamba]

I guess it's my duty to meme him tenfold for doding even racing then.

You do the same with Van der Poel in Liege or others somewhere else so with you I'm fine with it. If your reasoning is that all good riders should just ride all big races then it's fine, but I think it's perfectly normal for a rider to think different about it. I just think people seriously overestimate De Lie's climbing capabilities, I've always thought that. In the beginning De Lie himself and the team overestimated it too, not anymore it seems. He has to watch out he doesn't start to do the opposite tho. I hope they'll change his schedule if a big headwind is expected, cause then it's probably worth giving it a shot.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Very funny that some of the same posters who lambast this era because Pogacar and Van der Poel are invincible are also some of the posters lambasting De Lie for drawing the exact same conclusion.

Well, it would be even worse than it is now if riders started skipping monuments just because they can‘t win. I can understand it for De Lie though, if he really thinks he can‘t follow the Peloton.

 

[Netserk]

Saying what he thinks is the truth is being a loser? I don't necessarily agree with him not having a chance (for a top 10 or something like that) cause for example what if there's a big headwind on Cipressa (wouldn't surprise me if he does it after all if that's the case), but yes if they go as hard as last year (which is what everyone expects let's be honest) there De Lie being there is indeed pointless. He would not play a role. The Cipressa is way too long for him if they go full from the bottom to the top. Why would he want to ride a race where he thinks he can't play a role in? That's like saying Merlier riding I don't know Bredene over MSR is loser mentality too.

Also be aware that because of these copy paste sites the words you read are a copy of a copy of either a translation of his words in france OR (even worse) his own words in bad Dutch.

dont you think he could do as well as kooij did last year ?

 

[Samamba]

dont you think he could do as well as kooij did last year ?

No. Kooij is a better climber for everything over 5 minutes, at least for now. De Lie is heavier and just hasn't trained for it enough. In a scenario where he really focuses on it he could do it, but with all his problems his focus has been mainly on everything between a sprint and (repeated) 5 minute efforts. He always says that anything above that is a problem for it cause it can't go into the red for that long.

Riders like Philipsen, Kooij, etc. actually climb really well (for a sprinter ofc) when they are on a good day, I haven't seen De Lie do that.

Of course there's a scenario where he's in perfect position and has his best legs ever and he just makes it over the Cipressa and then barely anything happens in his group on the Poggio, but those chances are really slim so I don't understand why he doesn't want to do 300km just to highly likely get dropped on the Cipressa.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

So in tennis, 126 out of 128 players in a Grand Slam draw should just go home and find the nearest challenger event?

Scarcely comparing like with like: a player gets £99,000 for winning a first round match at Wimbledon. Remind us how much someone gets for finishing low in the first half of the MSR field?

 

[Red Rick]

Scarcely comparing like with like: a player gets £99,000 for winning a first round match at Wimbledon. Remind us how much someone gets for finishing low in the first half of the MSR field?

Prize money is a neglible factor in cycling. You get paid to represent the team in races with the most eyeballs.

 

[Netserk]

after wellens is done pulling, there are 45 riders in the peloton (5 out of the picture)

kooij is in 30th position

while it splits after jonny goes crazy, i think everyone makes it to poggio together behind the trio. for the minor placings, i think uae is a great equaliser in that they make the best of the rest go so hard here that they cant keep going and they cant make the difference on poggio any longer. so just making it this far is enough to sprint for 4th (if you dont blow up)

edit : btw, too funny that its del toro on the wheel of kooij. totally unable to move up like he needed to do

 

[Rou]

Or the words of a realist who prefers to target races he thinks he can win?

I wish more people were realistic like De Lie.
For example Remco. Instead of going to the Giro which has a weaker field and a nice long flat TT he is going to the Tour to fight for a 3rd place which will be super hard for him.
Yes, the sponsors want him in the Tour. But for his legacy what matters is wins and not how many kitchen sinks Bora will sell.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Prize money is a neglible factor in cycling. You get paid to represent the team in races with the most eyeballs.

well, you brought up tennis......Nobody ever saw Kooij in last year's race. His participation was pretty much worthless in terms of exposure.

 

[Berniece]

De Lie is heavier and just hasn't trained for it enough.

He trains?

 

[Samamba]

He trains?

Thanks for proving my point, no proper argument, just taking the piss. Something that would annoy you when someone does it in a Remco discussion.

 

[Berniece]

Thanks for proving my point, no proper argument, just taking the piss. Something that would annoy you when someone does it in a Remco discussion.

It’s a joke, a very silly joke. So silly because it doesn’t even make sense because you can’t ride in the professional peloton without training. Most of the time I laugh with jokes about Evenepoel, check my reactions history

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Prize money is a neglible factor in cycling. You get paid to represent the team in races with the most eyeballs.

Precisely. Which is why your comparison with a tennis tournament is invalid.

 

[Keldergoat]

No. Kooij is a better climber for everything over 5 minutes, at least for now. De Lie is heavier and just hasn't trained for it enough. In a scenario where he really focuses on it he could do it, but with all his problems his focus has been mainly on everything between a sprint and (repeated) 5 minute efforts. He always says that anything above that is a problem for it cause it can't go into the red for that long.

Riders like Philipsen, Kooij, etc. actually climb really well (for a sprinter ofc) when they are on a good day, I haven't seen De Lie do that.

Of course there's a scenario where he's in perfect position and has his best legs ever and he just makes it over the Cipressa and then barely anything happens in his group on the Poggio, but those chances are really slim so I don't understand why he doesn't want to do 300km just to highly likely get dropped on the Cipressa.

Which monument do you give him the best chance to win?

The thing is, I don't see him winning P-R either because his bike handling isn't of the levels of MvdP, WvA etc. RvV could suit his capabilities, but with MvdP and Pogacar nuking the race at the Oude Kwaremont nowadays I don't think he's up to that either. Given what he has won already in his career, I really do think that a strong De Lie could be up there competing in MSR.

 

[Samamba]

Which monument do you give him the best chance to win?

The thing is, I don't see him winning P-R either because his bike handling isn't of the levels of MvdP, WvA etc. RvV could suit his capabilities, but with MvdP and Pogacar nuking the race at the Oude Kwaremont nowadays I don't think he's up to that either. Given what he has won already in his career, I really do think that a strong De Lie could be up there competing in MSR.

None as long as the top guys are as strong as they are now

But PR is still his best shot, his bike handling is a bit better now, positioning too. And it's a race with the most chance the top guys have bad luck.

MSR without Pog, or with serious headwind he could have a chance in yeah if he's is super form. Basically if they race like they did in the past (slower Cipressa, fast Poggio would suit him), so he will probably be rooting for Pogacar this year cause when he wins he might stop doing it haha.