Impressive De Lie Secures Opening Stage Win at Etoile de Bessèges

Lotto Dstny rider Arnaud De Lie emerged victorious in the opening stage of the Etoile de Bessèges in a stunning performance. The 20-year-old Belgian showcased his talent on a finish tailored for punchers, overtaking former world champion Mads Pedersen in the final straight to claim his second win of the season. De Lie now leads the five-day stage race in the south of France.

The opening stage saw the peloton split into groups due to the echelons, with Lotto Dstny’s four riders – Liam Slock, Sébastien Grignard, Brent Van Moer, and Arnaud De Lie – staying in the front group. Ten kilometers before the finish, a significant group caught up as they headed towards the punchy finish in Bellegarde. With the assistance of a well-executed lead-out by the Lotto Dstny team and a final push from Jasper De Buyst, De Lie positioned himself behind Pedersen and made a decisive acceleration to sprint to victory. Pedersen finished in second place, followed by Benoit Cosnefroy in third.

In an interview, De Lie expressed his gratitude towards his teammates, saying, “It is fantastic to start the season with such a shape and already two wins. But this wouldn’t be possible without a strong Lotto Dstny team behind me. I am really thankful to my teammates because they really raced by the book today. My teammates really delivered the perfect lead-out.”

De Lie also shared his insight on the race, stating, “We did a recon of this finish past Monday and I already noticed that it flattened out a bit at 500 meters from the finish. Right there, Mads Pedersen launched his attack. I held onto his wheel and felt strong enough to pass him and sprint towards the finish. It felt great to win that way. This Etoile de Bessèges is already a success with this stage win, but there are some nice opportunities in the next two days. And with this team spirit, a lot more is possible.”

Images: Nicolas Mabyle – DirectVelo / Ekoi Cycling – Bastien Lemaire