"That I can beat Mathieu van der Poel is fantastic. Not many people get that" - Arnaud de Lie
Cycling
Arnaud de Lie is a rider of immense talent, half sprinter half classics specialist. But in a world with generational classics riders such as Mathieu van der Poel, the Lotto rider doesn't get to win much at the highest level. Today he did, beating the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider both for the stage and overall win after an incredibly tight battle.
"It might not have been my best day of this Renewi Tour. But sometimes it's better to keep going. You try with the legs you have. I tried to save those legs for the sprint. It was a bit of a gamble, but in the end I played well," De Lie said in a post-race interview. "I can't describe what happened today. I'm just incredibly happy. After a tough spring, winning a WorldTour classification here, plus a stage, is simply a dream."
The Belgian entered the final day of the race in the lead but in the green kilometer lost this to an explosive van der Poel that went on to capture bonus seconds. This turned the race on it's head with minutes to it's end, and van der Poel was so strong that De Lie on several occasions missed the attacks that soared off the front.
"My position on the Wijnpers wasn't great. My legs were good, but not good enough. I tried to hold on. Sometimes you shouldn't just push, but think. Today I played my cards with the legs I had." It was a very complicated position for the De Lie and in the finale it became obvious that only the final sprint could save his race.
Finishing the race in a dream way
But the stars aligned for the 23-year old, as all attacks were reeled in and a bunch sprint took place. De Lie took the victory, directly ahead of an also incredibly strong van der Poel who finished second, but this small lead was enough to both win the stage and the overall classification.
"At the end, Jenno [Berckmoes] was still with me. He always works well for me. I'm happy I was able to win for my teammates. When you finish second, you miss the icing on the cake, but today wasn't just one icing, but two or three."
De Lie, who has suffered from injuries, illnesses and media pressure a lot over the past few years, has finally managed to obtain the results that his potential promised. "It was a difficult period, but things have been much better for a while now. I wanted to show it today. That I can beat Mathieu van der Poel is fantastic. Not many people get that."
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- for what?frieders311-11-2026
- Blah blah blah!frieders311-11-2026
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- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
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- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
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