ProTeam Arnaud De Lie wins again and now adds the GP de Wallonie to his record

Where he sprints, he wins. De Lie is enjoying a brilliant second half of the season. After taking the final stage and the overall classification in the Renewi Tour, and then triumphing in Plouay, he has now also won the GP de Wallonie. On the slopes of the Citadel of Namur, he outsprinted Emilien Jeannière and Biniam Girmay.

“I’m very proud,” De Lie beamed afterwards. “I’ve been watching this race since I was a little boy. To be able to win here is really special, especially as a Walloon. Of course I’m Belgian, but this has an extra special meaning.”

De Lie had just returned from Canada, where he competed in Québec and Montréal. The long trip can be exhausting and often doesn’t guarantee success in the next race. “It’s often all or nothing,” he admitted. “This time it was all. The pace at the start of the race wasn’t that high, so I could hide most of the day and we controlled the breakaway without much trouble. The finale was tougher. There were a few attacks, but nothing spectacular. On the penultimate climb it did get fast, though. Jarrad (Drizners) positioned me perfectly before the Citadel, and then it was just about finding the right timing. I went a bit too wide in the last corner, but I launched my sprint and it was enough to win. I’m extremely happy.”

Picture: PhotoNews