De Lie is back, and how! "But honestly, I still didn't feel great in the opening stages"

For the second consecutive year, Arnaud De Lie has added the Famenne Ardenne Classic to his list of achievements. Last year he sprinted to victory on one leg, this time he dominated in a more usual fashion. And naturally, he was very pleased with the outcome!

"I'm obviously very happy with this victory," declared the 'Bull of Lescheret' after his triumph in the flash interview. "I'm winning here after a very difficult period. I'm lost for words," he then referred to Lyme disease, the ailment that kept him out of competition for a whopping five (!) weeks.

De Lie thanks his Lotto-Dstny teammates

Lotto-Dstny was aggressively offensive throughout the day in Belgian Luxembourg, with Maxim Van Gils particularly pulling the chestnuts out of the fire (he himself finished a commendable third). "I really have to thank my teammates for this victory," said De Lie. "The goal wasn't necessarily to win. Sure, winning is always great. But I knew it would be tough to win. In the opening phase, I didn't feel great, but soon after, I did. My teammates helped me through."

In short, De Lie had high praise, and he also mentioned again that he found the route quite challenging. "It was very tough, especially because of the strong wind. Fortunately, I knew the course well and my teammates were in good form. When a sprinter sees the finish line, something happens. The sprint itself was also difficult, due to the strong headwind. But I'm very glad that I managed to pull it off."