Arnaud De Lie, Tour de France sprinter: “Sucking milk from my father’s cows soothes me to death”
For three years, Arnaud De Lie (Lotto) has been shaking up the herds of elite cycling. When he wins, the Belgian apes his horns by placing two fingers on either side of his helmet. The "bull of Lescheret" knows a thing or two about cattle: he's the son of a breeder from the Ardennes, a lineage he's proud of, and a love of farming that he upholds as his standard.
At 23, the former national champion is competing in his second Tour de France. After a lackluster start, the young sprinter scored two impressive finishes: fifth in Laval (Mayenne) and third in Châteauroux (Indre). We met him in Toulouse on the first rest day, Tuesday, July 15, at a hotel with a restaurant aptly named Black Angus. We discussed the ups and downs of his career, the Lyme disease he contracted, and, of course, cows.
Libération
