"We misjudged the early breakaway" - Arnaud De Lie laments a missed chance for victory

Arnaud De Lie's season has been pretty gloomy until July. The Tour de France marked a turning point for the 23-year-old Belgian who entered top-5 on four occasions. Since then, the star rider of Lotto has seemingly found his better self which he quickly proved with a second place at the ADAC Cyclassics Hamburg where only escapee Rory Townsend was able to deny De Lie's second victory of the season.

"We misjudged the early breakaway," De Lie begun his interview for Sporza afterwards. "Those guys must have been really strong. I can only congratulate the winner on his effort."

"It's always sad to finish second, of course. But I'm happy with how my legs feel. This was only my second race after the Tour de France, and I can already say that my fitness is good. That reassures me for what's coming up soon, including the Renewi Tour." Beyond his home WorldTour stage race, the Renewi Tour, the Belgian sprinter should also make an appearance at the Canadian classics at the start of September.