"I have found the Arnaud I know again" - Lotto boss pleased with Arnaud De Lie's Tour de Suisse performance

For the first time since turning pro, Arnaud De Lie had to go three months in a row without a podium result in 2025. Obviously this was not without a reason - but the legs were seemingly finally responding to the 23-year-old Belgian at the Tour de Suisse, even if it didn't immediately show in the results. A 15th place in a stage is better than a 'DNF'.

And we shall not pretend the race was built to suit the Lotto's star sprinter - it was an important training session too. "We went into the Tour de Suisse with the aim of improving his physical condition. That was done well," team manager Stephane Heulot explains in a conversation with RTBF.

"Admittedly, there were no significant results. He could have done better on Friday. But what I see is the pleasure he had in cycling, even if Arnaud will never be a pure climber. If we compare him with 2024 in the same race, we are physically very close."

In any case it was a difficult period for the Belgian champion. Perhaps even more mentally than physically. "Arnaud was very affected. Especially by the repeated bad luck and misunderstandings about his physical condition. The Lyme disease that struck him last year was not harmless. We had to do a lot of research and keep a close eye on things. But those problems have been solved."

"It is logical that it affected his morale. We did what we could with the time we had left. I am very happy with how things went this past week. I have found the Arnaud I know again. Full of desire and determination. He is doing well," he sounds optimistic.

Normally, De Lie will therefore hunt his first Grand Tour stage at Tour de France again this summer, despite the complications. "He will be there, despite the tight timing. There was the false start in Cologne and also the setback in Mayenne, but he did not have a forced training break," Heulot highlights. "Otherwise he would never have finished the Tour de Suisse, given the difficulty level."

Thus the manager has no doubts (and no other options to lead the team in bunch sprints): "He is ready for this Tour. I prefer to see the glass half full. He wants to prove a lot and will do so from Sunday in Binche," Heulot refers to National Championships this weekend.