Arnaud De Lie resumes training; season start not at risk for now

The big question at the Lotto-Intermarché team presentation was how leader Arnaud De Lie would be doing. The team's golden boy suffered an ankle injury in the last days of last year, with one of the ligaments seriously damaged. In the meantime, De Lie has resumed training, and his race schedule is not expected to be disrupted.

"I started training again last week and have spent seventeen hours on the bike. That's not as much as most other riders, who are now training about thirty hours per week, but at least I’m not inactive," De Lie explained to the press present, including WielerFlits. "It’s looking more and more normal. That’s obviously not ideal, but in the end, it’s better to have an injury now than in March."

So what exactly happened to De Lie? "I fell down the stairs. An accident," said the Walloon. "I have received good treatment and we made a solid plan. I wasn’t allowed to cycle for eight days, but now that’s fine again. I just can’t train at full power yet. Sprint training isn’t possible yet. New examinations will follow soon and we will see what is possible."

De Lie’s program remains in place for now. That means his first race day will be January 15 in the Clasica de Almeria, followed by the Volta ao Algarve and the Opening Weekend. "I will only come back if I can and if the team’s medical staff approves. We don’t want to put the rest of the season at risk by returning too soon. We still need to evaluate, but for now the schedule stays as it is."