"Some have had entire squads in hospital" - How a race in Belgium got dozens of riders ill and is affecting the Giro d'Italia

The 2026 Lotto Famenne Ardenne Classic took place this past weekend and saw Arnaud de Lie take the win, bringing the race to the spotlight with a high-reputation winner. However as the week progresses, it has become clear that dozens of riders have fallen ill as a result of their participation in it. In one instance, the Giro d'Italia startlist is having to be changed because of it.

The race, which took place in Belgium this Sunday, took place largely on agricultural roads in the area. The mix of the rain falling on the day, the tracks from agricultural vehicles and cow feces that would be on the road led to a disastrous situation: Many riders have fallen ill as a result of their participation.

Lotto-Intermarché showed up at the Giro's presentation with only five riders. Amongst the absent was Arnaud de Lie, the winner of the race. This is because of the illness that several of the team's riders contracted. Team DS Maxime Bouet explained to CyclingPro.net what happened: "There was a problem at the Famenne Ardenne Classic, where a lot of riders fell ill. We have had quite a few riders in hospital. Arnaud is here in Bulgaria, at the hotel. We hope he will recover quickly. We have heard that several teams have been affected and that some have had entire squads in hospital".

The scale of the illness bout that spread from this race has a very large scope, and due to its position on the calendar, the Giro was luckily not affected more heavily due to the proximity between the two races. Lotto's Liam Slock however was removed from the Giro and replaced with Joshua Giddings as a result.

At the Giro, it is unsure what will be of Arnaud de Lie, who enters the race planning to only race the first half, but has that in jeopardy now as well. It is another obstacle in the way of De Lie, who has already had an ankle injury wreck his spring campaign.

"With Arnaud, we have opted for some rest because he is still a bit weak. We do not want him making other riders, or even other teams, ill. The priority is the health of the riders," Bouet added. "The health of our riders is the absolute priority. That is why we quickly replaced Liam Slock with Joshua Giddings. Milan [Menten] was also at the Famenne Classic and had symptoms too, but he is already much better. He will arrive in Bulgaria this evening."

However, the former pro explains that he knows of other teams in which there are plenty of riders ill, raising bigger questions over the safety aspect of last Sunday's race. "I know other teams have had the same issue. It is digestive problems — diarrhea and vomiting. Our riders went to hospital because as soon as they stood up, they felt nauseous and could not stay on their feet," he tells. "So we told them to go to hospital immediately. I heard it was the same at other teams."

Both De Lie and Lennert van Eetvelt suffered from injuries this spring and are trying to make a comeback at the Corsa Rosa. Ultimately, it is proving an arduous task for the newly-promoted squad.

"We have to stay positive. If we weren't, we could have gone back to Belgium tomorrow — and then what's the point? We don't only have Arnaud in the squad. We have eight highly motivated riders, and eight riders who can compete for stage wins. Illness is part of a Grand Tour. We have it now; other teams might get it in two, three, four days. We want to win one or more stages, and we are staying focused on that," he concluded.