End of the sprint opportunities in Paris-Nice. A young Belgian will regret that. Arnaud De Lie impressed early in the season with his display of power, but bit the sand three times in France. “He has paid his dues”, Renaat Schotte and José De Cauwer judge.
Tuition at WorldTour level
Three times Arnaud De Lie struggled from wheel to wheel in the hectic sprints of Paris-Nice. “You couldn’t draw a line at all,” says José De Cauwer. “Merlier, Pedersen and Kooij showed that they can handle that.”
“And De Lie seems to be paying a lesson”, Renaat Schotte adds.
“De Lie may even drive the fastest sprint the first time. He came from further than Merlier. Although he does indeed have to pay a lesson at the WorldTour level,” his colleague agrees.
“Teammate Guarnieri – the man who has to do it – does not take the lead and does not take guys like Brent Van Moer under his wing. That’s why they start looking around. The train is clearly not on the rails, Lotto – Dstny is definitely missing someone like Jasper De Buyst.”
De Lie somehow couldn’t take his exam here.
Which train is on the rails? “Because the feeling you get is that no train can make it here,” says Schotte.
“That’s also because the trains aren’t there,” De Cauwer replies. “There is no Van Lerberghe, no Morkov, no De Buyst… Those men make a difference. If you see how Van der Poel drops Philipsen in the Tirreno, that is not present here.”
“The riders come from all sides. The course encourages this with two roundabouts in the last one and a half kilometers. One way or another, De Lie couldn’t take his exam here.”
Is De Lie not surrounded enough?
“The remark from the outside is probably: De Lie is not surrounded enough”, our commentator concludes. “Or is that too short sighted?”
“That is not too short-sighted, but the reality,” says De Cauwer. “Guarnieri is not the youngest anymore and also fits better in a story where others take the lead, such as De Buyst. Now Lotto-Dstny cannot or does not dare. It is hectic, not every rider is suitable for that.”
“There is still work to be done. It is not easy for the team to motivate your riders for this and to teach it. Although you also have to be able to develop that speed.”
Paris-Nice is not Bessèges, where there is no twist.
Nevertheless, Schotte believes that the team cannot be blamed for a lack of commitment. His co-commentator agrees. Schotte: “You can’t blame the team for a lack of effort, because they spent a whole day at the front with De Gendt.”
“De Lie himself will also be surprised by what happens in such a sprint. He jumps from left to right, hoping it will work out. But this is not Bessèges, where there is no twist.”
“Well, this is just a snapshot,” he concludes. “De Lie is 20 years old, there is no man overboard. He just has to learn through and through. De Lie has been put in his place several times, but he remains a top player.”
