ProTeam Arnaud De Lie ends Tour de Wallonie with third place in both final stage and overall classification

After his stage victory in Eupen yesterday, Arnaud De Lie started the decisive final stage in third place overall. On the demanding route to Aubel, he remained attentive at the front of the peloton throughout the day. “It was an exceptionally tough day from start to finish. I wanted to stay among the first twenty riders at all times so I wouldn’t have to chase. As a team, we did that really well.”

In the sprint, De Lie saw an opportunity to make the difference and launched his effort early. “I saw an opening and went for it, maybe a little too early, and that’s a pity. Perhaps I should have approached it differently, but I’m very happy with my performance today. I felt really good.” In the end, only overall winner Ben Oliver and Killian Théot finished ahead of him.

The sprint was also overshadowed by a heavy crash around 200 metres from the finish. De Lie avoided the incident and was able to complete his sprint. “Most of all, I’m very happy that I wasn’t involved in it.”

As a result of the crash, Riley Sheehan lost his leader’s jersey to Ben Oliver. With his third place in the final stage, De Lie also secured third place in the overall standings. “In the end, the margins were very small, but I think Ben Oliver is a deserving winner. Congratulations to him.”

Throughout the race, De Lie felt his form improving day by day. “Honestly, it got better with each stage. During yesterday’s victory, I already felt at the bottom of the uphill finishing straight that my legs were excellent. Today, I was able to stay with the front group on every climb, which shows that my form is good.”

The Belgian explained that he had come to Wallonie with a clear objective. “Above all, I wanted to regain good feelings on the bike. If victories came along the way, that would be a bonus. In the end, that victory came in the fourth stage, and I leave this race with a lot of confidence, both physically and mentally. Today was a very tough race, and efforts like these show that I’m on the right track. You learn from small mistakes like the one I made in the sprint and take valuable lessons into the next races.”

Photo: PhotoNews