"I’m leaving some great names behind me" - Arnaud De Lie overcomes illness to take statement victory in Binche

Arnaud De Lie now has seven victories this 2024 season, the latest of which came in a very impressive sprint on the cobbled finale of Binche - Chimay - Binche on Tuesday afternoon.

“I didn’t feel great in the morning. I didn’t have great legs during the first two or three hours of the race, but on the local circuit my legs unblocked. The longer the race lasted, the better I got," De Lie assessed honestly in his post-race interview. "Maybe that was because of the lack of racing rhythm. The team rode a good final, we were always at the front when we had to be."

In a top quality field that included the likes of Biniam Girmay, Jasper Philipsen, Tim Merlier, Juan Sebastian Molano and Pascal Ackermann among others, it's further confirmation of the Lotto Dstny prospects continued development into one of the fastest riders in the peloton. "At the start of the sprint I saw Tim Merlier move up. I got on his wheel. I tried to tackle the sprint as best I could," the Belgian says of the finale. "Jasper Philipsen started the real sprint first and Danny van Poppel reacted. I was on his wheel. When Van Poppel sat down, I launched my sprint. I came back quickly and then I knew I would make it. I’m happy that I was able to win, it’s my first victory in Wallonia as Belgian champion. And I’m also leaving some great names behind me.”

“It’s always a tough race here. There was a lot of wind and not immediately in the right direction. You have to be well positioned for the climb on the local lap every time. Both for the risk of crashes and echelons. But due to a lack of wind, there was no real selection," De Lie concludes. "I've been sick the past few weeks and have had problems with my lungs. You have to stay mentally motivated. That's what I did: last week I trained for five hours in the rain. That paid off."