"I see Arnaud De Lie as a favourite"- Oliver Naesen believes Arnaud De Lie's chances of winning Omloop Het Nieuwsblad are strong

The upcoming Omloop Het Nieuwsblad promises to be fierce competition as Lotto Dstny and talented young rider Arnaud De Lie gear up for debut and take down the elites.

With three victories already under his belt this season, the up-and-coming Belgian rider is set to challenge past champions Sep Vanmarcke, Greg Van Avermaet, and Jasper Stuyven for yet another win.

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He is held in high esteem by numerous riders in the peloton, who recognise him as a prominent candidate for victory. "For this edition, I see Arnaud De Lie as a favourite. He's special I've already seen him do incredible things, and yet he's very down to earth,” AG2R Citroën's Oliver Naesen told Het Nieuwsblad.

In addition to Naesen's statement, Vanmarcke supports it and included his own input. "If Lotto want to, they can control everything for De Lie and then I want to see who can beat him. In Bessèges he rode over longer climbs than there are at Omloop with ease. I don't see who is going to ride him off in a 200km race," Vanmarcke said.

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Team manager Kurt Van De Wouwer desires him to prioritize exposure and, if feasible, seize the opportunity to win. "Competing for wins in smaller races and gaining experience in bigger races – that is, and will remain, the approach. If he's at the front and something is possible, then all the better. In any other case, he'll have done the race once with a view to next year,” concluded De Wouwer.

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