Arnaud De Lie Clinches Victory at Famenne Ardenne Classic
Arnaud De Lie of Lotto Dstny rode to his 10th victory of the season in a remarkable fashion at the Famenne Ardenne Classic. In a daring sprint finish, De Lie lost his pedal and had to pedal with one leg in the final moments, yet still managed to claim the win ahead of Kaden Groves and Florian Sénéchal.
Despite being a favorite going into the race, De Lie and his team had to work hard throughout the race. They faced multiple attacks from their competitors but managed to stay in contention for the sprint finish with a reduced peloton.
De Lie, who was initially positioned far back in the peloton, had a strategy of timing his effort late in the sprint. Despite the setback of losing his pedal, he continued pedaling with one leg and threw his bike towards the finish line, ultimately securing the victory.
In good spirits, De Lie commented on the unusual circumstances of his win, saying, “I prefer to sprint with two legs, but my cleat broke off and I lost my pedal. Luckily I still win, otherwise I would have been quite disappointed if I had lost the race as a result.”
This victory marks De Lie’s 10th win of the season and the 21st victory for Lotto Dstny this year.
