"As a precaution, he will stay at the hotel" - Arnaud De Lie's Tour de France already in doubt as he misses Team Presentation with illness
Cycling
Arnaud De Lie's Tour de France is already in doubt before it's even started as his Lotto–Intermarché team confirmed that he's suffering with stomach problems and missed Thursday evening's Team Presentation.
As the 23 teams set to ride the 2026 Tour de France were publicly unveiled under the backdrop of Barcelona's iconic La Sagrada Familia, there was one rider notably missing in the build-up to Saturday's team time trial - De Lie.
Ahead of the presentation, Lotto announced that the Belgian sprinter would not be present, and will be staying at his hotel to recuperate from stomach problems just days before the Tour.
A team statement confirmed the news: "Arnaud De Lie is suffering from a stomach upset and will not attend tonight’s Tour de France team presentation."
It continued: "As a precaution, he will stay at the hotel to rest and recover, with the aim of being fully ready for the start of the Tour de France on Saturday. Let's wish Arnaud the quickest recovery."
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The news will serve as an all too familiar reminder for both De Lie and Lotto. The 24-year-old missed the team presentation at the Giro d'Italia for a similar reason, and will be hoping he doesn't suffer the same fate in the race itself.
De Lie's Giro d'Italia nightmare
In the Giro, De Lie's race was completely derailed by a severe stomach bug caused by cow manure contracted at the Lotto Famenne Ardenne Classic. The illness ultimately forced him to abandon the race during Stage 4.
The Belgian did bounce back after the Giro, winning a stage at the Tour de Wallonie in a brutal reminder to the fast men of his abilities when fit and healthy.
The sprinter is out of contract at the end of the season, and is reportedly on his way out of the team. The team's Tour selection has led to questions around their support of De Lie.
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Speaking on RTBF’s On connaît nos classiques, Rodrigo Beenkens questioned whether Lotto-Intermarché have given De Lie the support required to turn those near misses into a victory.
“When you look at this selection, I still wonder who is going to protect Arnaud, who has still had eight top-fives in two Tours,” said Beenkens. “At some point, for him to be able to win, he first has to be well positioned and possibly well launched. On paper, we do not get the impression that he is being protected.”
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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