🎥 De Lie withdraws from Milan-Sanremo and struggles in Nokere: Top sprinter dropped in the finale

Don’t look for Arnaud De Lie at Milan-San Remo on Saturday, March 22. The Belgian sprint star has had to remove the Italian Monument from his schedule due to persistent illness but has instead added Nokere Koerse and GP Denain to his race calendar.

Speaking to IDLProCycling before Nokere Koerse, the Lotto Dstny rider was in good spirits. "It’s short sleeves and shorts weather, perfect for riding," De Lie said ahead of a sunny edition of the race. "I’m happy to be at the start—it’s a great race."

De Lie’s decision to race Nokere and Denain was directly linked to his illness. "I wasn’t feeling great in training, so I’m trying to regain my form. I think racing is the best way to get back in shape," explained the Bull of Lescheret.

De Lie explains absence from Milan-San Remo: "If you want to perform there, you need to be 100 percent"

Despite skipping Milan-San Remo, De Lie is still competing in the Flemish Ardennes and the cobbled roads of northern France. "Nokere and Denain are good alternatives. Racing Sanremo was impossible—I wasn’t feeling great after Le Samyn, so the best decision was to race Nokere instead."

De Lie himself admitted that he is still not in peak condition, which is why starting in Milan-San Remo would have been meaningless. "I’m not yet the best version of Arnaud. But I think racing here in Nokere is good for my confidence. If you want to perform in Sanremo, you need to be at 100 percent, and I’m not there yet."

Can he still win Nokere or Denain without being fully fit? De Lie believes it’s possible. "Winning when you’re not at 100 percent is always tough. But this is sport—sometimes surprises happen."

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De Lie has to drop in finale and cannot sprint for win on the Nokereberg

The race in the Flemish Ardennes turned into a disappointment for the Walloon talent. With 12 kilometers to go, the powerful sprinter lost contact with the front group, which was racing full gas at that point. That meant he had no chance to contest the sprint for victory.

After the finish, De Lie crossed the line in 69th place, two and a half minutes behind winner Nils Eekhoff (Picnic PostNL). Clearly frustrated, he rode straight to the team bus to regroup ahead of his next race, GP Denain, which is coming up quickly.

Sporza commentator José De Cauwer summed up De Lie’s tough situation, as the Belgian has already suffered several setbacks this season. "This needs to be analyzed. This needs to be discussed," De Cauwer said live on air. "Guys, this is heartbreaking for him. No rider wants to go through something like this."

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