The contract of season revelation Arnaud De Lie at Lotto Soudal has been extended by a year. The Walloon rider had his breakthrough immediately in his first season at the pros and will remain at the Belgian WorldTour team – to be named Lotto Dstny from 2023 on – until 2024.
“What Arnaud has shown this year – as a neo-pro – has been impressive,” says John Lelangue, CEO of Lotto Soudal. “We knew he had talent because he came through our own Development Team. But that he would win six times already in his first season is something we could never have predicted. We believe that he can develop himself into a rider that is able to compete for the victory in the biggest races. Riders like Arnaud De Lie are the future of this team. We trained him in our Development Team and now we can score with him at pro level. We are very happy to have him on board for a year extra.”
Arnaud De Lie expressed his satisfaction with the team, saying, “I feel very well in this team. With all riders, staff and sports directors I feel at ease. The team has worked for me almost from the first race I did. If I had confidence in a good sprint, I got all the support. That mutual trust is the most important reason for me to extend.”
The young rider is focused on his development in the coming years. “In this team I get the opportunity to grow at a steady pace. This year I was able to win on .1 level. Next year I hope to compete in bigger races. Nokere Koerse, for example, I would like to win. But first I focus on the second half of the 2022 season. There are a lot of races yet to come where I would like to get results.”
