"It would be a dream" - Arnaud De Lie hoping for leadout from Wout van Aert at European Championships

Whilst Wout van Aert is arguably the favourite to take European Championship glory in men's elite road race, his Belgian teammate Arnaud De Lie is hoping if he can keep contact until the finish, a potential leadout could be on the cards.

"It's difficult to say right now. We don't know who will be the best in the final lap and I think we will have to continue to discuss that. It would be a dream if this became the race scenario," the Lotto Dstny rider says of a possible van Aert leadout at a pre-European Championship press conference in quotes collected by In de Leiderstrui.

In an all-star field, the likes of Mads Pedersen, Filippo Ganna, Christophe Laporte and Olav Kooij will all prove threats to the Belgians. "There are just many possible scenarios. It could be a very tough race. I don't expect much more than fifteen riders at the finish," previews De Lie. "If Wout would do a lead-out for me, that would be great. It is also possible that we determine the course the other way around and that I put him in position."

"I even dare to say that that will really make a difference. Not just in the sprint, but in the entire race," De Lie concludes confidently. "In the last lap I want to have a maximum of five riders in front of me on the penultimate climb. Otherwise you have to take too many risks on the descent.' Then it becomes sprinting."