Tour de Wallonie: Relief for Arnaud De Lie with come-from-behind victory in a thrilling uphill finish on stage 4

Arnaud De Lie secured a dramatic come-from-behind victory on stage 4 of the Tour de Wallonie, delivering a powerful solo effort in the uphill finish at Eupen. After a challenging start to the race week, the Lotto-Intermarché rider surged past late attacker Riley Sheehan of NSN Cycling Team in the final metres, claiming his second win of the season. De Lie’s triumph marked a significant turnaround following earlier frustrations, reflecting both his resilience and the strong support from his team throughout the stage. The 167km stage was marked by aggressive racing, with Sheehan launching a decisive attack with just under six kilometres remaining. The American rider appeared set to take the stage and the race lead, having distanced the peloton and holding a slim advantage over Kim Heiduk of Netcompany Ineos. However, the chasing group, led by Lotto and Ineos, gradually closed the gap. De Lie timed his final acceleration perfectly, overtaking stage two winner Ben Oliver before catching Sheehan near the line in a thrilling finale. De Lie described the victory as a confidence boost after a spell of bad luck, praising his team’s efforts in positioning him well for the uphill sprint. He emphasised his focus on producing a powerful effort lasting around a minute, which proved decisive in overcoming Sheehan’s lead. Despite the punishing final 150 metres, De Lie’s determination and timing enabled him to edge out his rivals in one of the race’s most exciting finishes. Although Sheehan missed out on the stage win, his performance was rewarded with the overall race lead, taking the orange jersey ahead of the final stage. His 15-second advantage on the line, combined with bonus seconds, propelled him past Heiduk in the general classification. The stage also featured tactical moves from other riders, including a breakaway caught with 23km remaining and several attacks in the closing kilometres, underscoring the competitive nature of the race as it heads towards its conclusion.