Algemeen Arnaud De Lie, 1 day before Le Grand Départ: "I think the mass sprints here will be next level"

"The difference between a mass sprint at the Belgian championship and a mass sprint in the Tour de France? Phew, I think it's going to be next level here," says Arnaud De Lie. "At the BK I was able to beat Jasper Philipsen. If I can do it again here, you can be sure that I'm close to winning. Because Jasper will be even more on edge here. Every sprinter here is at their very best at the start."

The freshly minted Belgian champion is about to embark on his very first Tour de France. Yesterday, he got to show off his brand-new Belgian jersey for the first time during the team presentation in Florence. "I'm very curious about the whole circus. You can already feel that this is different from all other races. I mainly want to gain experience here. This is not only my first Tour but also my first race that will last three weeks. It will be important to have good legs at just the right moment—for a sprinter stage, for example. I want to learn just about that. In the Tour de Suisse, I got a taste of the mountains, but now I'm heading into the real high mountains for the first time. And then you know as a sprinter that you're going to suffer. In Switzerland, I climbed quite well. Of course, I wasn't in the first group, but still in the second or third each time. So it will come down to conserving as much energy as possible to be able to peak at the right moment."

The Tour ends this year in Nice and not on the iconic Champs-Élysées. That's not exactly the dream scenario for the sprinters in the pack, who traditionally dream of winning in Paris on the final day of the Tour. "I'm not really thinking about that. The last week is particularly tough, and I mainly want to do everything I can to finish my first Tour de France. If I stop after two weeks, I also lose a chance to gain the experience of the complete race. If you want to make progress, you sometimes have to bite the bullet. So let it be a goal to finish in Nice. It's also why I'm not focused on the green jersey. I know there are a few stages where I can certainly make my mark. But what are the chances? Of course, you can dream, but you also have to be realistic and keep your feet on the ground. Literally everything has to go right to win here."

Pictures: PhotoNews