"I want to try something in Roubaix" - Arnaud De Lie on cobbled classics ahead of 2023

Arnaud De Lie has been presented as Lotto Soudal's new gem in 2022. A very strong sprinter, De Lie has also shown talent in the classics, and in the cobblestones particularly he will be testing himself this coming year.

“I think all the details are important. There were races where I might have been the fastest, but where we lacked a bit of experience compared to the other teams," De Lie shared in an interview with RBTF. "However, my teammates and I have not been racing together for very long and I think we will create a good group, both for the sprint and for the classics.”

The neo-pro has emerged as, by far, Lotto Soudal's most successful rider of the season. Although his points weren't enough to save the season from relegation, his nine wins came as a big boost to the team's future and morale, as they present one of the brightest rising stars. He has had a taste for World Tour racing this year, with some focus on the cobbled classics. In 2023 he will give it a go with higher ambitions.

“It wasn't bad at all in the Flemish races this year. I participated in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Dwars door Vlaanderen and Gent Wevelgem," he said. "But there are even bigger cobblestone classics. I want to try something in Roubaix, but we're taking it step by step. We don't take three or four steps at once and then stagnate. I want to do well and the team shares that vision.”

For now however, following a successful season, the 20-year old has different priorities. “I will leave my bike for a few weeks, rest it and stick with some running training. And of course help my father a little on the farm," he concluded.