"Soon I'll be a buddhist monk" - Arnaud De Lie tries to keep calm after another frustration at Tour de Wallonie

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.

“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.