“I simply fell on the stairs at home” - Arnaud De Lie explains freak accident behind ankle injury setback

Arnaud De Lie’s early-season plans have been thrown into doubt by an accident that had nothing to do with racing. An awkward fall at home left him with ankle ligament damage, forcing the Belgian to slow everything down and rethink the opening months of his year.

Speaking to Sporza, De Lie made it clear that patience, not panic, will now shape his return. He is not interested in racing for the sake of appearances. He wants to come back only when he feels fully ready.

He explained the moment that changed his winter: “I simply fell on the stairs at home.” It was instantly obvious to him that something was wrong. “I immediately saw that it wasn’t very good. But an accident can happen anywhere.”

The setback cost him a week of training. “I could not train for a week,” he said, although the direction is now positive. “It is under control and going in the right direction. Now I can ride for three to four hours.”

Together with his team Lotto-Intermarche, De Lie has built a careful rehabilitation plan. The focus is not on dates, but on rebuilding safely. “Last week I trained 17 hours. My condition is good. I feel good on the bike,” he said. But the limits are still there. “I still cannot sprint or ride hard. Easy rides and endurance training are fine, but the real intensity is not there yet.”

Rather than forcing it, he is choosing to work with what he has. “I focus on what I can do and when I am better, I will increase the intensity.”

For De Lie, the priority is simple and non-negotiable: “My first goal is that my ankle gets better.”

That mindset explains why his season start is now uncertain. Races that were pencilled in are no longer guaranteed. “Normally I would start in Almeria and then the Algarve,” he said, but he also stressed he does not want to pin himself to an early return if his ankle is not ready.

He knows the cost of getting it wrong. “I cannot start too early, otherwise I would jeopardise my Classics.” For a rider whose reputation is built on the spring, that risk is too big, and he wants to arrive at the key dates in proper condition rather than chasing kilometres too soon.

Even if he is holding himself back, the big spring targets are never far from his thoughts. The Opening Weekend with Omloop and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne is already on his radar. “But I have to be ready and 100%,” he repeated. “Those races are in my head.”

Looking further ahead, De Lie confirmed that the Tour de France and autumn racing in Canada are part of his longer-term plan, with the World Championships also in that period. But none of that matters if the foundations are rushed.

The message from De Lie is consistent throughout. There is no dramatic return date, just a rider determined not to compromise the part of the season he values most.