Arnaud De Lie bumps Lewis Askey in full sprint: "It was him or me"

A striking moment in the ultimate finale of the Clásica de Almeria. Arnaud De Lie, who made his season debut in the Spanish one-day race, gave a hefty shove to the fading lead-out Lewis Askey. The Bull of Lescheret said afterward that he had no other choice.

NSN rider Askey was part of the sprint train for Biniam Girmay, who ultimately took the victory. After the Brit had done his turn at the front, however, he didn’t move aside as is customary. He tried to get back onto Girmay’s wheel but lost speed.

De Lie: "He just kept riding in the way"
As a result, he also obstructed De Lie. The fast Lotto rider had to hold back, then tried to pass on the right, but another rider appeared alongside him from that side, prompting De Lie to shove Askey. The latter's foot slipped out of his pedal and he just managed to stay upright. De Lie tried to continue sprinting after the incident but had to settle for sixth place.

#ClasicaAlmeria 🇪🇸 / Ouch, the shoulder bump. pic.twitter.com/ruadnHA3kk

— Renaud Breban (@RenaudB31) February 15, 2026

"He just kept riding in the way," De Lie told Eurosport reflecting on the incident. "There was nearly an unfortunate crash in the finale, but it was him or me. I was lucky because I stayed on my bike."

Boost
The 23-year-old Lotto-Intermarché rider also mentioned that he was 'very pleased' with his legs. "I felt really good," he said. A boost of confidence, as he was only able to start his season later due to an ankle injury.