Arnaud De Lie cuts short Tour de France team time trial recon but intends to start
Lotto-Intermarché’s fast man stepped into the team car during reconnaissance in Barcelona, but the plan remains for him to warm up on the rollers and take the start.
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Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Intermarché) stepped off his bike during the team time trial recon in Barcelona on Saturday ahead of the opening stage of the Tour de France.
Footage captured by YouTuber and podcaster Benji Naesen showed De Lie stepping into the Lotto-Intermarché team car during the time trial recon on Saturday, casting doubt over whether the Belgian will take to the start line with his teammates at 17:40 CET.
The incident came after De Lie missed the team presentation next to the Sagrada Familia on Thursday evening. Lotto-Intermarché confirmed at the time that the former Belgian champion had been suffering from an upset stomach.
Despite the latest scare, Sporza reports that De Lie is still expected to warm up on the rollers before the stage. According to the Belgian broadcaster, the intention remains for him to start unless there is a “medical urgency”.
The Lotto-Intermarché rider was also forced to miss the team presentation at the Giro d’Italia in Bulgaria in May, due to illness.
On that occasion, De Lie was among a number of riders affected by illness following the Famenne Classic the previous weekend. De Lie was forced to abandon the Giro on stage 4, after visibly struggling during the opening stages in Bulgaria.
De Lie is set to line up for his third consecutive Tour de France, and the Belgian has scored third-place stage finishes in both of his previous appearances at the race.
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