"Soon I'll be a buddhist monk" - Arnaud De Lie tries to keep calm after another frustration at Tour de Wallonie
Cycling
Arnaud De Lie was almost out of words as he reflected on yet another disappointment following a setback on stage 3 of the Tour de Wallonie on Wednesday. Frustration seems inescapable for the Belgian fast man, and he's reflecting on a tough period.
De Lie endured a nightmare Giro d'Italia after arriving in Bulgaria with a bacterial infection. He battled through the opening stages admirably, but succumbed on stage 4 as he failed to finish the stage. As the dust settled and he re-focused to prepare for the Tour de France, the Tour de Wallonie - his home race - was the perfect way to get back into it.
After three stages, De Lie has a sixth place finish in stage 2. The 24-year-old saw his opening stages marred by punctures and Wednesday's finish interrupted by a crash that took him out of the running.
De Lie claimed to have physically had the shape to compete with fellow fast men, but the results will once again have the Lotto-Intermarche rider preaching calmness as he hopes to live like a 'monk' in his pursuit of Tour de France redemption.
Arnaud De Lie hopes for calmness
“I can’t say anything more about it. I have to stay calm, but inside I am not,” he reflected on his situation on RTL Sports.
"I’ve been putting things into perspective for three days now. Soon I’ll be a Buddhist monk. It’s just a real shame. I actually had even better legs. If I were to say it like Kevin De Bruyne: ça me casse les couilles [Ed. translated: it’s starting to get on my nerves]. But, we have to stay calm.”
Before he arrives at the Barcelona Grand Depart on July 4th, he has plenty of opportunities to get back into gear. He'll ride the Copenhagen Sprint on June 14th before the Tour de Suisse from June 17th to 21st.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- I hope he rides a bitmij15-11-2026
- Greatest athlete this world has ever produced ! LOL ... you definitely are a comdian ! Cycling is so sprecialized and you think he's the greatest athlete ever ! Still laughing !frieders315-11-2026
- b.s. headline. Jonas wasn't told anything, it is just a pundit telling him what to do. the actual article is not even close to the insinuation of the headline.mij15-11-2026
- I think Roglic could have beaten Sepp. not Jonas. I was referring to Sepp.mij15-11-2026
- I'm deeply sick of this guy and his unwillingness to race seriously for more than a month or two. I'll never respect riders who do that. Seixas will be stronger than him next season, and maybe Del Toro as well. I don't even think he'll finish on the podium at any GT where Pogi, Seixas, and Del Toro are racing.megasmacky15-11-2026
- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
- If you go watch some races from last season other riders that have never caught Jonas...are now catching him. Some are just riding away from him and he can't hold the wheelmd197514-11-2026
- He just doesn't have the desire anymore. I read an article earlier today that said he almost retired last year. His reasoning was he is away from home to much. Visma was able to keep him riding by allowing him to skip certain camps. So, while currently Visma is doing altitude work...Jonas is at home. Which means 2 things. 1- He maybe fresher than other riders. But, not the condition. 2-Is a somewhat slap in the face to others on the team that are supposed to help him win. Yet feel like he hasn't done what they have so perhaps they don't provide as good of protection or they ride more for theme (which the team may not notice).md197514-11-2026
- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
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