"We executed it almost to perfection” - Arnaud De Lie positive after 2nd placed finish at Clasica de Almeria

After adding another podium finish to his blossoming palmares at the Clasica de Almeria, Arnaud De Lie was opting to look at the positives despite missing out on victory.

“A solid plan was made up before the race and we executed it almost to perfection,” De Lie told the official Lotto Dstny website. "We didn’t let us be surprised by the echelons and rode an attentive final. Everything went great until just under two kilometres from the line, where a small mistake caused us to lose each other a bit. The guys still did everything they could to get me to the front but I had to start my sprint from a bit too far."

"I still rode a strong sprint but need to settle for second place today," the 20-year-old Belgian continues. "Of course it is a pity to just miss out on the win in a nice race such as Clasica Almeria but it is equally important to see that the team is there and again delivered a strong performance. We are a tight group with a nice atmosphere, which is also important towards the next weeks.”

Those next few weeks that De Lie mentions could well prove massive in the young Belgian's career as he aims to achieve victories at some of cycling's most illustrious races such as Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne, Paris-Nice and Milano-Sanremo.