Philippe Gilbert on Arnaud De Lie’s struggles: “He doesn’t really listen to the people around him”

Arnaud De Lie’s start to the 2025 season has been far from smooth. The Belgian champion has struggled to find the form that saw him shine in 2024, and even parted ways with his trainer recently. As questions swirl about what’s gone wrong, former teammate Philippe Gilbert has offered a frank assessment.

Speaking to Het Nieuwsblad, Gilbert, who rode alongside De Lie at Lotto previously, pulled no punches. “He doesn’t really listen to the people around him,” he said.

Gilbert believes De Lie’s training habits are at the root of the issue. “He's going through a tough time, so I don't want to take too much credit off of him. But if I look at his Strava, I don't see enough long training sessions. I did at least six and a half hours every week. That's why I was always good in the longer races.

“You can say a lot about Dirk De Wolf, but he played a big part in that. He left his house at six in the morning to be here at nine. And then we were on the road together for six hours."

"That was discipline: we didn't eat for the last four hours. Honestly, I was completely exhausted. Sometimes I had to get in the car for the last ten kilometers because I was completely exhausted. And at the end of the training I was so hungry that I could eat the flowers on the table here."

Gilbert also points to a lack of focus in De Lie’s current approach. “Arnaud has to decide for himself whether he wants to remain a sprinter or become a real classic rider. There has to be a clear line. Also in his training. Now I see him training one day in Spain, then in Namur… I wonder: what do you do?”

He stressed the importance of precision and planning, reflecting on his own meticulous approach. “Every move costs time and energy. I spent two or three hours with the team’s logistics manager each season to plan all my flights. Even the taxi rides to the airport. Everything to lose as little rest as possible with moves. In my peak years, that was really all I did: train, race, rest.”