Arnaud De Lie’s second place in Tirreno boosts Lotto-Intermarché’s momentum
“This is good for confidence,” Arnaud De Lie concluded, satisfied after his second place in the bunch sprint in Magliano de’Marsi. Of course, the Lotto-Intermarché rider came to the Tirreno-Adriatico to win, but regaining the feeling of sprinting for victory again, this time behind winner Tobias Lund Andresen, also counts as a win.
The opening weekend with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne did not bring De Lie what he expected. In the Omloop, about 65 kilometers from the finish, his wheel broke, forcing him to change bikes. In the chase to catch back, he also experienced chain problems.
“In the Omloop, Arnaud showed quite strong form, but he couldn’t achieve a result due to bad luck,” performance manager Aike Visbeek explains. “Things went less well in Kuurne. The fact that he’s sprinting for the win here after a 220-kilometer stage is at least a mental boost. It shows he’s starting to find his rhythm.”
A boost that, according to Visbeek, De Lie can definitely use. “I think he’s currently only at 90 to 95 percent of his potential, and every day here in Tirreno a few more percentage points will come. That he’s already this close to victory is certainly a mental lift.”
The knowledge that De Lie is progressing towards peak form is no reason for Lotto-Intermarché to change their plan and add Milan-San Remo to his program. The Walloon rider will skip La Primavera and on the same day ride the GP Denain as a bridging race towards the Flemish classics block.
Visbeek: “The climb of the Cipressa is quite long. If they attack it as hard as last year, the bar is set too high for Arnaud. We prefer to stick to the plan and want him to be truly 100 percent ready at the start of Gent-Wevelgem.”
De Lie mainly reflected on the fact that at the foot of the snow-capped Apennine peaks, after a long day in harsh weather conditions, he still had a strong sprint left in his legs. “I’m super happy with this result,” he said after crossing the finish line. “Huub Artz set me up well in Jonathan Milan’s wheel. It was a massive battle. In the final hundred meters, I just ran a bit short on energy.”
Still, this second place is a result that Lotto-Intermarché holds onto. After the time trial, the team decided to withdraw GC contender Lennert Van Eetvelt from the Tirreno-Adriatico. The 24-year-old from Tienen had crashed on Saturday at Strade Bianche, injuring his knee.
“We had to adjust our goals with Lennert,” Visbeek explains. “He wasn’t in good enough shape to contest the GC in Tirreno. His knee wasn’t feeling right yet. We immediately shifted focus towards Milan-Torino and San Remo for him.”
“It’s a fight to find the flow. Hopefully, this second place by De Lie is a step in the right direction. The whole team
