Algemeen Three out of three for Arnaud De Lie: victory in Paris–Chauny

“Before people start thinking it’s something to take for granted: it doesn’t always work out like this, of course. Between winning and not winning lies a huge difference. There’s often pressure for nothing, while with the team we mainly want to put in a strong performance. This time, once again, there was a cherry on top in the form of a victory, so I really want to enjoy every moment now,” reacted a delighted Arnaud De Lie afterwards. He sprinted to his third win in a row in Paris–Chauny. “Usually the race here is quite controlled, but today we really had a chaotic finale, I have to admit. But the team was very strong today. The lead-out with Steffen (De Schuyteneer) and Milan (Menten) went perfectly – it just clicks between us. And that makes it all the more enjoyable to finish off the work of my teammates.”

De Lie is in the midst of a particularly strong second half of the season and remains motivated for the races still on his calendar. “I’ve got about nine race days left, if I’m not mistaken. Münsterland is still on my programme, Binche–Chimay–Binche, and also the Tour of Holland. I want to race like today. Not that I can win everywhere, but I want to be part of the sprints and hope for good legs, like today. The form is still there and I want to get everything out of it that I can.”

Picture: Brecht Steenhouwer