I’m willing to bet that you’ve never heard of Belgian cyclist . I’m also willing to bet that you’ve never heard of a bike race called the Lotto Famenne Ardenne Classic. It’s also Belgian.
Guess what? You don’t need to be familiar with either the race or the racer to appreciate the following video clip.
Easily one of the most surreal sprints I've ever seen. Arnaud De Lie unclips but doesn't lose his calm, he keeps pedalling with one leg and wins Famenne Ardenne Classic. Legendary stuff!
📹— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60)
You’re watching the dramatic final sprint inside the last hundred yards or so of the 117-mile race, which was held on Sunday, October 1, in the Wallonia region of Belgium. Here’s another angle of the finish.
Arnaud de Lie has just won with one leg 😳
— Domestique (@Domestique___)
As you can see, De Lie rockets away from the peloton and appears destined for an easy sprint victory. But just a few feet away from the line, his right foot awkwardly unclips from the pedals, leaving him coasting at high speed and somewhat bewildered. But De Lie still needs to maintain some forward propulsion if he wants to win, so he frantically pedals with his left foot. .
It’s amazing De Lie didn’t crash, given the combination of speed and surprise. It’s also amazing that he held enough velocity to fend off Australian Kaden Groves of team Alpecin-Deceuninck. The margin at the finish was tiny, and De Lie had to thrust his bike forward at the line to win by a few inches.
Pro cycling is a century-old sport, and athletes have won (and lost) races in almost every way imaginable. I must admit, I have never heard of anyone winning a bunch sprint—a skill that requires brawn, bravery, and impeccable timing—with just one leg.
This unorthodox video clip is just another reason to keep an eye on De Lie. The 21-year-old Belgian won his first WorldTour race earlier this year at the Grand Prix Quebec in September. He’s absolutely a rider to follow, and in a few years, he may be winning bunch sprints at the Tour de France, something that would make him a celebrity in the cycling world. I just hope he can keep both feet on the ground.