Arnaud De Lie remains due to start the 2026 Tour de France on Saturday, but expectations around his opening days should now be tempered after Lotto-Intermarché confirmed he is dealing with a stomach upset.
The Belgian sprinter missed the Tour de France team presentation in Barcelona on Friday night, with his team saying he would stay at the hotel to rest and recover as a precaution. Lotto-Intermarché said the aim was for De Lie to be fully ready for the start of the race.
That caution has carried into race day. De Lie was later spotted abandoning Lotto-Intermarché’s reconnaissance of the stage 1 team time-trial, adding another layer of uncertainty before the opening stage in Barcelona.
Photo Credit: GettyDe Lie still listed to start stage 1
De Lie is currently listed to start the Tour de France with Lotto-Intermarché, wearing race number 151. The team are due to roll down the ramp in Barcelona at 17:40 local time, or 16:40 in the UK. The full race line-up is available in our Tour de France 2026 start list.
Stage 1 is a 19.6km team time-trial in Barcelona, finishing towards Montjuïc. It is not a sprint stage, so De Lie’s immediate personal ambitions were never likely to centre on the opening day result. But the concern is still significant because a stomach problem can affect recovery, energy levels and a rider’s ability to contribute in a high-intensity team effort.
For the full stage timing and team start order, see our Tour de France 2026 stage 1 live viewing and start time update. The tactical importance of the discipline is also covered in our Tour de France 2026 team time-trial explainer.
In a team time-trial, even riders not expected to lead the squad still matter. They help with turns, protect teammates, hold formation and manage the early rhythm. If De Lie is below full strength, Lotto-Intermarché may need to be careful with how much work he does during the stage.
Sprint expectations now need caution
De Lie arrived at the Tour as one of Lotto-Intermarché’s key riders for stage opportunities. At his best, he is a powerful, durable sprinter who can handle harder finishes than many pure fast men. That makes him especially valuable in a race where the sprint stages are not all simple flat run-ins.
He was listed among the major names in our Tour de France 2026 sprinters guide and our ranking of the best sprinters at the Tour de France 2026, precisely because his strength gives him options on more awkward days. His route to points and stage results was always likely to rely on more than pure top-end speed.
But a stomach upset on the eve of the Tour changes the tone.
Even if he starts as planned, the question is whether he can recover quickly enough to be competitive when the first real sprint opportunities arrive. Stomach issues can drain a rider, disrupt fuelling and leave lingering weakness even after the worst symptoms have passed.
That does not mean De Lie should be written off. It does mean his early Tour needs to be judged with caution rather than expectation.
Why the first week matters
The 2026 Tour does not give the sprinters a gentle opening. Stage 1 is a team time-trial, stage 2 returns to Barcelona with a hilly finale, and stage 3 moves into the mountains towards Les Angles. That means the fast men have to manage a demanding start before the race settles into its clearer sprint opportunities.
For a fully healthy rider, that would already be a tricky opening block. For a rider trying to recover from a stomach upset, it becomes more delicate.
The wider route shape is explained in our Tour de France 2026 full route guide, while the likely fast-finish opportunities are covered in our guides to the Tour de France 2026 sprint stages and the best days for sprinters on the 2026 route.
The points classification picture is also affected. De Lie had the profile to collect points across harder sprint days, not just in the cleanest bunch finishes. But if illness reduces his early energy or forces him into survival mode, that could immediately limit his ability to stay active in the green jersey contest. For the broader context, see our Tour de France green jersey guide.
Echoes of a difficult Giro build-up
The timing is uncomfortable because De Lie’s 2026 Giro d’Italia was also disrupted by illness. He missed the Giro team presentation earlier in the season after a stomach problem affected Lotto-Intermarché’s build-up, and he later abandoned the race on stage 4 after struggling to recover fully.
That context makes this latest issue more delicate. It is not simply a minor pre-race inconvenience for a rider with a clear run of good health behind him. Lotto-Intermarché will know that managing the first few days carefully may be more important than asking too much from him too soon.
The team’s statement was deliberately calm, framing the absence from the presentation as precautionary. But the combination of missing the presentation and cutting short the team time-trial recon means De Lie’s condition will be watched closely when the Tour begins.
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Photo Credit: Getty
What it means for Lotto-Intermarché
For Lotto-Intermarché, the priority is simple: get De Lie through the opening stage safely and give him the best chance to recover for the sprint chances later in the first week.
The Barcelona team time-trial is not where the team’s Tour will be defined. Their bigger opportunities should come on road stages where De Lie can contest reduced bunch sprints or tougher sprint finishes. But if his illness lingers, the team may need to adjust how aggressively it supports him in the first part of the race.
Lotto-Intermarché also have Lennert Van Eetvelt and other riders capable of targeting different types of stages, so the squad is not built around De Lie alone. Even so, he remains one of their most recognisable names and one of their clearest routes to a high-profile Tour result. The wider squad context is covered in our Tour de France 2026 team-by-team guide.
A wait-and-see opening weekend
The immediate question is whether De Lie can start, complete the team time-trial and begin rebuilding properly during the opening weekend.
There is no confirmed withdrawal at this stage. Lotto-Intermarché’s messaging remains focused on rest, recovery and being ready for the Tour start. But a rider dealing with stomach problems before a Grand Tour cannot be assessed in the same way as a fully fit sprinter.
For now, De Lie is still on the start list. The caution is around what he can realistically do once the race begins.
Lotto-Intermarché will hope this proves to be a short-term issue. Until he is seen racing normally, eating properly and recovering stage to stage, his early Tour expectations have to be lowered.
