Arnaud De Lie reportedly hopes to turn his season around with an unexpected Giro-Tour combination!
Cycling
Arnaud De Lie must not be happy with how his season has been going so far. One second place in a Tirreno-Adriatico sprint and a 4th at In Flanders Fields are far from what the Belgian's qualities normally are. And while many would expect the 24-year-old to take a racing break and dive into training with aim of coming back stronger in summer, De Lie has different plans. As Het Laatse Nieuws reports, De Lie should rider the Giro-Tour double this year!
The 2026 Giro d'Italia will see a Grande Partenza in Bulgaria on Friday, May 8. Lotto-Intermarché have already one leader for the race in climber Lennert Van Eetvelt for whom this Giro is an important step in coming back from a back injury that cut short his 2025 campaign. With De Lie on board, the Belgian team can compete on all sorts of terrains.
The Walloon rider will be making his debut in Italy, unlike at the Tour de France, which he already rode in 2024 and 2025. After a spring classics season, which was partly ruined by physical issues, he is looking to regain his rhythm at the three-week race, hoping to pick up some "easy" sprint victories. However, in light of his participation in the Tour de France in July, the intention is not for him to push himself too hard during the Giro.
De Lie, currently taking a short break after having a wisdom tooth removed, will first ride the Lotto Famenne Ardenne Classic in his home region on May 3, a race he has already won twice in 2023 and 2024. Between the Giro and the Tour, he is also scheduled to participate in the Tour de Suisse (June 17-21). The Belgian National Championships in Brasschaat (June 28) will be one of his major goals. Contrary to his earlier plans, De Lie is unlikely to ride either his home Tour de Wallonie, or the Copenhagen Sprint.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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