Lotto-Dstny have revealed their squad for the upcoming Tour de France, with debutant Arnaud De Lie and star puncheur Maxim Van Gils as leaders.
Joining Lotto’s two key males would be the skilled Victor Campenaerts, Brent Van Moer, Jarrad Drizners, Harm Vanhoucke, Sébastien Grignard and Cedric Beullens.
De Lie arrives at his first Tour off the again of an emotional and gorgeous win on the Belgian nationwide championships highway race, the place he bested the very best sprinter of final 12 months’s Tour, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) in a bunch end to Zottegem.
Although he’ll now fulfill a dream of sporting the Belgian bands on the Tour, It hasn’t been plain crusing for the 22-year-old Belgian to make it to Firenze’s Grand Départ on June 29. Disappointing type within the Spring Classics and a bout with Lyme illness in March led him to even doubt his abilities on the bike.
“In [E3] Harelbeke I used to be dangerous, in Gent-Wevelgem I used to be worse than dangerous. That was the second once I requested myself ‘Arnaud, what are you truly doing using a motorbike?’ Every rider is aware of that feeling,” De Lie informed Het Laatste Nieuws after triumphing int the Belgian Championships.
“I did not contact a motorbike for ten days. And after these ten days, I did not really feel like getting on a motorbike once more. I stated to myself ‘Arnaud, grit your enamel’. The pleasure returned. I went to Nice for every week and that was actually enjoyable.
“I received in Famenne [Ardenne Classic] after which my confidence returned. Now it has been three months since Gent-Wevelgem and I’ve change into Belgian champion. It’s actually unbelievable.”
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It was true all-time low for the younger Belgian, who had burst onto the scene in his first two and a half seasons as an expert with Lotto, taking 23 wins, the largest to this point being final 12 months’s GP Quebec and Sunday’s Belgian Nationals.
“After the Classics, I used to be mentally damaged,” stated De Lie to Sporza whereas combating again tears. “I made a whole lot of sacrifices to come back again from Lyme illness.”
Now that he’s again to his greatest after taking 4 wins between April 28 and now, he’s received his sights set on his debut Tour, and with out expectations or strain from Lotto-Dstny.
“Arnaud goes to the Tour with none strain, because it’s his first participation we don’t put any expectations round him,” stated sports activities supervisor Kurt Van de Wouwer.
“He goes there to study and achieve expertise, after all, there are some levels that go well with him and in sprints he can attempt his likelihood, however with none musts.”
De Lie might be spurred on by his win forward of riders of the calibre of Philipsen, 2023 Champs-Élysées winner Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe), Thibau Nys (Lidl-Trek), Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step).
He’ll be aggressive in flat sprints actually, however he’s additionally received his sights set on the uphill dash on the finish of the primary week into Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises, the place the likes of De Lie and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) could possibly be those to beat.
“I like stage eight, Philipsen could also be quicker within the flat sprints,” De Lie informed HLN. “I do not actually have a aim, I simply take it day-to-day. The Tour is new, when you’ve got an excessive amount of confidence it isn’t good.”
Lotto Dstny’s 2024 Tour de France squad
- Arnaud De Lie
- Maxim Van Gils
- Victor Campenaerts
- Brent Van Moer
- Jarrad Drizners
- Harm Vanhoucke
- Sébastien Grignard
- Cedric Beullens.
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