Arnaud De Lie suffers stomach issues again, says "we're not panicking ahead of the Tour"

For Arnaud De Lie, his participation in the 2026 Giro d'Italia was one to quickly forget. The Lotto-Intermarché rider fell ill during the week leading up to the start and had to abandon in the fourth stage because he was feeling unwell again.

De Lie attributed his illness to the large amount of cow dung spread on the Belgian roads during the Famenne Ardenne Classic he won (May 3). Despite his illness, the sprinter started the Giro with high hopes.

However, he was already out of contention in the sprint of the opening stage (21st), and in the second stage, he was one of the first riders to drop on the day’s only climb. "We hoped Arnaud would feel better after the rest day, but today he had stomach issues again," said team director Pieter Vanspeybrouck to Sporza.

The Walloon is not the only rider at Lotto-Intermarché struggling with illness in the Giro. Milan Menten may also have to abandon due to stomach problems.

Team keeps a cool head
Still, according to Vanspeybrouck, there is no reason for panic at Lotto-Intermarché yet. "The most important thing now is that he gets healthy again. We are not panicking yet about his upcoming goals: the Tour of Wallonia and the Tour de France."

This is not the first time De Lie’s race schedule has been disrupted by illness. Earlier this spring, he already missed the Tour of Flanders because he was not feeling fit. In 2024, he also battled Lyme disease.