De Lie abandons after stomach infection
De Lie abandons the Tour de France on stage three after illness again derailed his Grand Tour season. The Lotto Intermarché rider climbed off during a punishing day of heat, pace and late climbing in the Pyrenees.
The Belgian had already left the Giro d’Italia earlier this year in similar circumstances. He later rebuilt his form and won a stage at the Tour de Wallonie last month. That recovery gave him fresh hope before the Tour, but an abdominal infection disrupted his build-up.
Lotto Intermarché said De Lie had been dealing with the infection before the Grand Départ. The team reported that he had improved steadily, yet stage three placed too much strain on him. Temperatures neared 40°C during a demanding afternoon.
De Lie had already finished last on stage two on Sunday. One day later, he struggled as the peloton raced hard from the start. The early fight for the breakaway kept the speed high, before UAE Team Emirates-XRG helped drive the chase.
That pressure left little room for any rider carrying illness. De Lie lost contact, then tried to continue with help from teammate Baptiste Veistroffer. The team said Veistroffer supported him for many kilometres as he fought to remain in the race.
The decisive section came late in the stage. Three Pyrenean climbs arrived in the final part of the route, with the heat compounding the effort. Lotto Intermarché said De Lie eventually stopped on the final climb to protect his health.
While Tadej Pogačar celebrated the stage victory and moved into the yellow jersey, De Lie’s Tour had ended. It was a sharp contrast to his pre-race ambitions, which centred on contesting sprint finishes after months of preparation.
De Lie called the abandon a huge disappointment in team comments. He said he had worked for months to arrive ready for the Tour de France. He also said the stomach infection had weakened him significantly before the race entered the mountains.
The 24-year-old said he had used everything available during the first two stages. On stage three, he felt he no longer had the strength to continue, especially in such extreme heat. He described hanging on behind Veistroffer in a small group before the climbs became too much.
De Lie also said he told Veistroffer to go ahead. That decision allowed his teammate to focus on reaching the finish inside the time limit. De Lie’s priority now shifts from the Tour to recovery and the rest of the season.
The abandon leaves Lotto Intermarché without one of its key sprint options after only three stages. For De Lie, it also creates an unwanted repeat of his Giro d’Italia exit. His next target will depend on how fully he can recover from the infection.