Arnaud De Lie 'hesitated to follow' in Omloop but ready for Kuurne

Arnaud De Lie is ready for Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. The Belgian had a good day at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad but, due to a crash, didn’t achieve a result (62nd). That’s why De Lie has something to prove on Sunday: “We need to position ourselves well at key moments—that’s mainly the goal today.”

According to team director Aike Visbeek, De Lie felt good during Omloop, but hesitated to follow Van Dijke on the Molenberg. That moment of ‘doubt to follow’ caused him to crash, effectively ending his race. “It was a bit unlucky. They were riding closely in his slipstream, allowing him to continue briefly. But after 200 meters, he realized it wasn’t going to work and had to switch to a new bike.”

“We were stuck in the crash at that moment, so it took a while for him to get his bike. The gap going into the Muur of Geraardsbergen then became just too large to bridge back.”

Visbeek sees opportunities for De Lie and Jenno Berckmoes in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. “We definitely need to aim for a result in the upcoming races. Jenno and Arnaud could benefit from a tough race on Saturday to be even stronger in Kuurne. If it turns into a grueling battle again, that suits those guys better.”

De Lie himself said before the start of Kuurne that he “slept well.” “I’m at the point, although you can’t recover from Omloop in one day. I’m expecting a sprint today, but how many riders will contest that sprint? I don’t know.”

“It’s a tough course with the wind today, so a proper bunch sprint will be much harder. But anything is possible—it’s still a bike race,” he concludes.