Arnaud de Lie quotes Remco Evenepoel on motivation: "You are one hundred percent committed from the beginning to the end of the season to try to get that little extra percent"

Arnaud de Lie suffered a difficult crash this season and fractured a collarbone in the 4 Jours du Dunkerque. His first big setback of an already very successful pro career, it has led him to think on his preparation and motivation differently ever since.

"After breaking my collarbone during the Four Days of Dunkirk, I realized that my career could easily be over. So you need to know how to optimize everything," De Lie shared with RTBF. "It is not particularly difficult to help my father on the farm, but it requires mental effort. As Remco Evenepoel said, in top sport you are one hundred percent committed from the beginning to the end of the season to try to get that little extra percent compared to others. I think I have taken a step forward in that area. And after my crash in Dunkirk we have seen that I have returned to top form."

De Lie continued to make his presence felt in the spring and hilly races, and made a quick comeback which then included several wins - including his first World Tour triumph at the GP de Québec. At the highest level he's already proven himself against others, with his European Championships performance also being incredibly impressive, where he led out Wout van Aert in the hilly finale and still finished fourth on the road. "I'm actually already motivated to prepare for the next season," he assures.

"There will be many opportunities; the Tour de France is certainly a dream. The Vuelta a Espana also appeals to me because there are often short, powerful finishes (he refers to the climbs, ed.). But I'll wait to see the routes, making a decision now is a bit premature," he adds. "The [Olympic] Games are a goal for me, I would like to participate. The event only takes place every four years, and I think being an Olympian is something special. I hope I will be in good shape by then, because that is necessary. And I hope that national coach Sven Vanthourenhout and the Belgian team will have confidence in me."