Arnaud De Lie has laid out his targets for the 2025 season as he and Lotto take intention at promotion again to the WorldTour following relegation from biking’s prime division again in 2022.
The Belgian sprinter/Classics man is simply 22 however he is the primary man on the roster this season, his fourth within the professional ranks. De Lie has already racked up 26 wins in his profession, together with the Belgian Championships final season and the GP Québec two years in the past, and this season he’ll be focusing on success in the course of the spring Classics.
Speaking to In de Leiderstrui, De Lie laid out his plans for the upcoming spring marketing campaign following a season debut in Spain on the GP Castellon and Clàssica Valenciana.
He mentioned that he is hoping to compete for victories on dwelling floor in the course of the cobbled Classics season, with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad amongst his fundamental targets having completed second there in 2023.
“I wish to compete for the win. So that I can dash for the win in Gent-Wevelgem, for instance,” De Lie mentioned. “Whether I’m third or fourth, it would not matter, however at the least I’ve competed for the win.
“It’s not a matter of getting to, however of desirous to. That’s a distinction. ‘Having to’ shouldn’t be a pleasant phrase, as a result of in order for you one thing, it actually comes from inside your self.
“I’ve already gained two years of expertise [at Omloop]. And I actually really feel that I can win there. I do know that I can win a Flemish basic like that, and that within the Belgian tricolour [national champion’s jersey]… That could be one thing particular.”
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De Lie will construct as much as the Belgian season with begins in Spain, on the Etoile de Bessèges, and Volta ao Algarve whereas forgoing altitude coaching in favour of sleeping in an altitude tent at dwelling, he mentioned.
Training camps will nonetheless play an element within the build-up to Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, whereas he’ll additionally forgo Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico in preparation for Milan-San Remo and the primary cobbled block of races culminating within the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
“During that [March] interval I’ll do a coaching camp with my coach Gaetan Bille for about ten days,” De Lie mentioned. “After that I hope to be in the precise form for Milan-San Remo. I’ve solely ridden that after and I feel I nonetheless lack expertise to win there. Everyone is aware of that you just want expertise there.
“Loads has modified in trendy biking . If you see how Mathieu van der Poel rode an excellent Milan-San Remo as the primary race of the 12 months final 12 months… Van der Poel is after all Van der Poel, however we see that quite a bit has modified. If you put together nicely, you get into the precise form.”
De Lie needs to be in line for an additional Tour de France begin later within the season (he made his debut in 2024, selecting up two stage podium spots). In this upcoming season crammed with extra WorldTour-level racing than he is taken on earlier than, he’ll take confidence from one 2024 trip particularly – the GP Québec.
He completed thirteenth on the race, so not a prime end result from his marketing campaign, however he did handle to maintain up with Tadej Pogačar when the Slovenian launched a stinging assault on the ultimate climb of the race.
The race was a rarity in 2024 in that Pogačar didn’t find yourself atop the ultimate podium, however De Lie mentioned he has taken confidence from being one of many few riders who was capable of comply with an assault from the Slovenian in the course of the course of a season the place he proved largely unbeatable.
“Following Pogačar was actually particular. It might not have been the precise option to comply with, however you by no means know. That second offers me plenty of confidence, as a result of in virtually all different WorldTour races nobody might comply with him,” De Lie mentioned.
“It was a really explosive finale. A Flemish basic remains to be completely different from Quebec, however personally that actually offers confidence.”
“As a rider you search for these sorts of moments, but additionally for the victory. Still, that may be a spotlight of final season.”