Arnaud De Lie Secures Second Stage Win in Bessèges
Lotto Dstny rider Arnaud De Lie has claimed his second consecutive victory at the Etoile de Bessèges, winning the third stage of the race. De Lie’s impressive performance in the reduced bunch sprint also extended his lead in the general classification.
The third stage featured a local circuit with two climbs, where De Lie was able to stay with the leading group thanks to the support of his teammates. The group eventually split up after the final ascent and a technical descent. De Lie was caught by a chasing group but managed to close the gap and eventually emerged victorious in the bunch sprint.
In a post-race interview, De Lie commented on the challenges of the stage and his strategy: “Maybe this victory looked easy but I can tell you that this was not the case… On the final climb, I did everything to try to follow, but honestly I was a bit cooked and started the descent in last position, where it eventually split.”
De Lie also expressed his satisfaction with the teamwork and the result: “It feels fantastic to again reward great teamwork because without Sébastien Grignard and Cedric Beullens at the start, it wasn’t easy today.”
Looking ahead to the next stage, a summit finish, De Lie acknowledged the difficulty but remained determined: “Of course you should defend a leader’s jersey to the best of your abilities, but it really is a tough climb. I don’t expect to make it but we will give our all, that’s for sure.”
Unfortunately, De Lie’s teammates Sébastien Grignard and Cedric Beullens were unable to start stage three due to injuries sustained in a crash during the previous stage.
Images: Nicolas Mabyle – DirectVelo.
