🇧🇪 #KBK23 A strong sprint to end an impressive opening weekend 👊
"If I were Soudal-Quick Step, I would definitely give De Lie a listen" - Dirk De Wolf believes Arnaud De Lie transfer is possible
CyclingSaturday, 04 March 2023 at 08:30
Arnaud de Lie was one of the riders in the spotlight at the Belgium classics opening weekend, the Belgian rider of Lotto-Dstny, finished 2nd in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and 7th in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne. He aligned 2 great results to two amazing performances, especially in Omloop where he climbed the bergs with the best.
On the other hand, Soudal-Quick-Step, a team used to dominate in this type of race, was completely shadowed as Dirk De Wolf said in the cycling podcast Wielerclub Wattage "It is clear that Soudal-Quick Step needs a key figure for the Flemish classics. The fact that Jumbo-Visma pulled in the Omloop after 80 km is something Soudal-Quick-Step itself always did in the past. Now they are no longer at the head of the peloton there to stage something like that."
This means that Soudal-Quick-Step needs to secure a rider that can return the team to its former glory, and what better rider for that than Arnaud de Lie?
"If I were Soudal-Quick Step, I would definitely give De Lie a listen, when his contract expires at Lotto-Dstny next year, it might be time for a step-up. De Lie is a strong bear, a rider you can build on in the coming years", said De Wolf about De Lie that has a contract with Lotto-Dstny until 2024.
The fact is that De Lie, who will turn 21 years old on March 16, has been keeping proving that he has the skills and charisma to be one of the best despite his still young age. And Lotto-Dstny despite being one of the historic teams within the pro peloton, doesn't have a squad as strong as Soudal-Quick-Step, and De Lie also needs support in these races, as De Wolf pointed out.
"If De Lie wants to ride classics like Van Aert and Van der Poel do, he will need a strong team, next season De Lie can stay with Lotto-Dstny for another year, but after that, it might be time for a step-up," he concluded.
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