De Lie openly dreams of Van Aert’s lead-out at European Championships: "That would be fantastic"

Arnaud De Lie could surprise as the Belgian shadow leader at the European Cycling Championships. The young sprinter had a terrific duo of races in Canada, culminating in a victory in Québec. Can he repeat that performance here? "I expect a very chaotic race", said the youngster during a press conference, which IDLProCycling.com of course also attended.

De Lie aspires to aim high at the EC. His best chance, as proven in the GP Québec, is a bunch sprint. Will Wout van Aert then do the lead-out? "It’s hard to say right now. We don’t know who will be the best in the last lap, and I think we’ll have to keep discussing that. It would be a dream if this becomes the race scenario."

De Lie dreams of lead-out by Van Aert

However, De Lie remains realistic. "There are just a lot of possible scenarios. It could become a very tough race. I don't expect more than fifteen riders at the finish. If Wout were to do a lead-out for me, that would be amazing. But it could also be determined during the race that it’s the other way around and that I bring him into position."

The positioning, according to the young sprinter, will be super important. "I dare to say that it will really make a difference. Not only in the sprint, but in the entire race. If you are positioned too far back, it's over. In the last lap, I want to have a maximum of five riders ahead of me on the penultimate climb (with cobblestones, ed.). Otherwise, you have to take too many risks in the descent." Then it's time for sprinting. "I expect about 35 seconds. I have shown in the Ster van Bessèges that I can handle that."

De Lie expects chaos during EC

Due to the importance of positioning, De Lie expects it to be a very hectic race. "In the local lap, it's climbing, descending, then climbing, then descending again. And in the meantime, a lot of steering. There will be a lot of stress in the peloton, and if you look at the various Dutch National Championships that have been ridden here, it can become chaotic."

In that chaos, freshness can play a significant role. De Lie hasn't ridden a grand tour, unlike many favorites. Can that work in his favor? "Hard to say. The race is two hundred kilometers, not 260 like in the World Championships. Guys like Mads Pedersen have ridden many races, but I don't think they would ride here if they didn’t think they could win. I can't say whether my freshness will be an advantage on Sunday," said the young sprinting talent.