Arnaud de Lie ready to challenge for classics glory: "I am really convinced that it was an important step to perform better"

Arnaud de Lie, the current Belgian national champion, is setting his sights on leaving a greater mark on the spring classics in 2025. In an interview with Wielerflits, the Lotto rider explained his impressive winter preparation, and what he has learned heading into the new season.

“My winter went exceptionally well. I trained in Spain for five weeks, which is quite a difference compared to the last three years. Renting a house there was the best choice in my young career. I trained for six hours twice in December, which is almost impossible in Belgium. Training in good weather and lots of sun makes you stronger. I am really convinced that it was an important step to perform better.”

“I will definitely not do that altitude training camp again. I did sleep in a high-altitude tent at home in the winter, but that's it.” This decision comes after a rough start last year when he fell ill during Paris-Nice, following a challenging altitude training camp in Tenerife.

De Lie also talked about keeping mentally strong during his setbacks, “That I have to stay calm when something bad happens. If it doesn’t work out, you can’t do anything anymore and you have to accept it. At that moment, you shouldn’t look at the past, but at the future. Every problem has a solution, so there’s no good reason to drive yourself crazy.

“At times, I asked myself a thousand questions, while you only have to ask that one right question. That helps me to stay calm, and I’m also coached well in that. And that’s also the only thing you can control yourself. That illness was just pure bad luck.”

Recalling his competition alongside Tadej Pogacar in Quebec last autumn, he explained, “That was very special, but it also makes me think. It may not have been the right choice.”

“Watch out, it was a very special moment. And it gives me confidence that I can do something like that in an explosive finale. But sometimes I have to race more cautiously. I have to learn to ride less on emotion, but more with my head. After all, we don't race for beautiful moments, but for victories. That will be important, especially in the classics.

“We don't have the strongest team and then you have to wait until Visma | Lease a Bike , Alpecin-Deceuninck and UAE Emirates-XRG start. You have to adjust your tactics a bit. And then it's simple: if Van der Poel goes on and you want to take advantage of a small chance to win, then you have to follow that big guy.”

On the team, he said “I can't deny that we've lost strong men. But we have a lot of quality that still has to prove itself in the big work. I'm thinking of Alec Segaert and Jenno Berckmoes . We have a lot of motivation to show that we're still there, we're not Lotto for nothing. I don't want to avoid that pressure. In fact, we impose it on ourselves. But then in the right goals.”

Looking ahead to the classics, de Lie stated, “In general, my first goal is to be able to ride finals in the classics. And I want to compete for victories. But if I sprint for the win in Gent-Wevelgem and I finish fourth, that doesn't matter. Then I've competed for the win.

“There's one time I really want to go for a result and that's in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. That's where I have the most experience of the last few years and I know I can win. It's really become a special race for me.”

“The Muur van Geraardsbergen suits me very well. Every race with that slope, I finished in the top 10 and last year I even managed to win there during the Renewi Tour. But it is also the Omloop as a race itself that I love. That starts with the atmosphere in the Kuipke and the atmosphere is often very special throughout the race. In the Belgian jersey that will probably be even more fun. It is a big goal.”