Query mark hovers over actual date of Arnaud De Lie's season begin after 'home accident'

Lotto-Intermarché’s star rider Arnaud De Lie has recognised {that a} query mark now hovers over the precise date of the beginning of his season following a home accident that left him with an injured ankle. However the Belgian fastman is planning to hit the bottom working in 2026 all the identical.

De Lie’s troublesome first half of 2025 as a consequence of accidents and illness then improved dramatically in direction of the tip of the 12 months with a surprising run of success – just for the Walloon racer to endure a recent setback when he broken his ankle after falling down the steps at dwelling in the course of the Christmas break.

The Belgian star was nonetheless visibly injured on the Lotto-Intermarché staff launch earlier this week together with his leg in a splint. Even so, he was adamant that he would be capable of return to full coaching quickly and get rapidly into racing regardless of some potential delays.

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Like all people on the staff launch, in any case, after studies of a number of behind-the-scenes hiccups in the course of the fusion of Intermarché and Lotto, De Lie’s appreciation that the brand new squad was up and working was palpable too. The ankle damage is a setback, however within the greater scheme of issues, the information is unquestionably good.

“There have been a whole lot of questions anyway, however all the pieces is sorted out now. We will see now we have a staff at coaching camp and that is incredible. I am joyful to put on this stunning jersey,” De Lie advised reporters, together with Sporza.be.

As for the ankle, “It is getting higher,” De Lie stated, earlier than explaining that he needed to cease coaching for per week due to a sprain. “It was a silly fall, however a lot better that it occurs now than in a month’s time.”

He had began again coaching two weeks in the past, De Lie stated and was now as much as 17 hours coaching in a single week. He had, nevertheless, but to check himself with an precise dash.

“We’ll see how issues evolve, but it surely’s sure that I will not begin till I am prepared, when the ankle is steady, so we do not take any dangers.

“Usually I will race the Clásica Almería (February 15) then the Volta ao Algarve (February 18-22), however these aren’t prime priorities.”

De Lie will need to ensure he is performing in a lot better form on the Opening Weekend – the place he took a memorable second place again in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in 2023 regardless of crashing – previous to heading on to Tirreno-Adriatico. That will likely be adopted by Ronde van Brugge, Gent-Wevelgem, Dwars door Vlaanderen, his long-awaited debut on the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

The second half of the season is already pencilled in as properly, with the Tour de France previous the Canadian Classics – the place he gained in Québec again in 2023 – and, hopefully, the World Championships.

“If I can journey there, it might be incredible. I’ve solely achieved one World Championship in my profession, however will probably be very powerful. I all the time journey properly in Canada. However we’ll see, these races are nonetheless a great distance off.”

In the meantime one in every of Belgium’s up-and-coming information stars, De Lie’s teammate and first-year professional Jarno Widar, has been confirmed as a doable starter on the Vuelta a España.

The 2025 Beneath-23 European Street Champion will coincide with De Lie on the Volta ao Algarve – ought to De Lie participate – earlier than specializing in the Ardennes Classics. The Giro d’Italia, pencilled in as doable for the previous Giro Subsequent Gen racer, has now been dominated out, however a begin in Spain’s Grand Tour this August may but be on the playing cards.