With only 1 teammate next to him, Arnaud De Lie wins chaotic Etoile de Besseges day: "Without races, we can't do our job"
Cycling
The Etoile de Bessèges peloton was in for the ride of their life today. The race was neutralized after only a few kilometers as for the second consecutive day, a moving car was moving towards the peloton. Almost half of the entire peloton decided to abandon the race, and in the chaos this included most of Arnaud de Lie's teammates. But after the race resumed, he still went on to win stage 3.
The Belgian champion reports on the first chaotic hour on the bike through his lens. "I initially got into the car to warm up. Over the radio, we heard that if we didn’t restart, it would be the end of the Etoile de Bessèges for good," De Lie said in a press release. "That really hit me. Rider safety comes first, absolutely. A car on the course is unacceptable. But at the same time, races like these can only continue to exist because of the riders. It’s thanks to these organizers that we have the opportunity to live our passion".
Seven teams fully abandoned the race. Amidst the chaos, five of Lotto's riders also left the race, but De Lie was in the peloton when the race restarted alongside one teammate. "Baptiste (Veistroffer, ed.) and I lost contact with the rest of our team amidst all the chaos. We were already moving forward again, while the others were preparing to head back to the team bus, just like many other teams".
What followed was a race with an extremely thinned down peloton, lacking most big teams, and a stage that was cut and raced under a lot of rain. Ultimately it came down to a bunch sprint between the remaining fast men, where de Lie beat Arnaud Démare to take his first win of the year.
"It was a dilemma for everyone, but in the end, I didn’t overthink it and just kept going. At first, we were about 20 riders, but eventually, around 60 continued. I hope I made the right choice," he continnues. "I also did it out of respect for the organizers—they have an incredibly tough job. And I won, in this weather—which I love—after such a crazy day. It felt a bit heroic. I’m really happy with this victory."
As reported by In de Leiderstrui, the Belgian further explained his thoughts on today's stage: "It was a dilemma. The Etoile de Bessèges would probably have struggled to continue if everyone had stopped. So, I didn't ask myself the question to continue cycling. We respect the organizers; without races, we can't do our job".
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What a race today... First victory of the season for Arnaud De Lie in Bessèges! ☄️
— Lotto Cycling Team (@lottocycling_) February 7, 2025
Pictures: PhotoNews pic.twitter.com/7wTJihNqqy
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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leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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