Arnaud De Lie Claims Victory in Circuit Franco-Belge
Arnaud De Lie emerged triumphant in the Circuit Franco-Belge, crossing the line first after a well-timed charge up the Mont-de-l’Enclus. In a sprint finish, De Lie outpaced Rasmus Tiller and Corbin Strong to secure the win.
De Lie, who had previously secured a victory in GP de Québec and impressed at the European Cycling Championships, entered the race as the top favorite. Supported by a strong team consisting of Victor Campenaerts, Florian Vermeersch, Alec Segaert, Arjen Livyns, Frederik Frison, and Ramses De Bruyne, De Lie and his Lotto Dstny teammates took control of the peloton.
In the final stretch of the race, a small group, including Florian Vermeersch and Arnaud De Lie, broke away from the pack and charged towards the finish line. With Vermeersch maintaining a high pace, De Lie found an opportunity in the final 200 meters and surged ahead of Tiller and his lead-outs Tobias Halland Johannessen, securing a well-deserved victory. Corbin Strong crossed the line in third place.
“I like this finish,” said De Lie. “At five hundred meters from the finish you are completely ‘à bloc‘ and then at two hundred meters you have to accelerate again to take the win. I’m very happy with this victory, and it’s always nice to be able to thank my teammates with a win. I felt good, and we rode a good race as a team.”
De Lie also expressed his satisfaction with his decision to extend his contract with the team until the end of 2026, stating, “It proves once again that it was the right choice to stay with Lotto-Dstny. The team proved that they created a good group around me, though not only around me, of course. The group atmosphere is very pleasant. And this victory is also a reward for all the good work of our CEO Stéphane Heulot, who is working on a great project. We prove that we are more than just a procontinental team.”
