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Arnaud de Lie is so fast he won a race in Belgium with one leg

A broken cleat in the finale made for a dramatic sprint

Arnaud De Lie winning with one leg Photo by: Johan Bruyneel/Twitter
October 2, 2023
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Arnaud De Lie has been a dominant force in 2023, triumphing in 10 races. However, during the Lotto Famenne Ardenne Classic on Sunday, he achieved something extraordinary—winning a race with just one leg.  After 180 km the peloton was intact, setting the stage for a bunch sprint featuring some of the fastest riders in the professional ranks, including Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck), De Lie himself, and Florian Sénéchal (Soudal Quick-Step).

With 100 m to go the Lotto Dstny rider held a significant lead over the other sprinters. However, disaster struck as his foot unexpectedly slipped out of the pedal, resulting in a broken cleat. With Groves of Alpecin-Deceuninck rapidly closing in from his left, De Lie faced a critical decision–to continue pedaling with only his left leg.

Remarkably, he managed to eke out eight unsteady pedal revolutions, just enough to maintain his lead. In an even bolder move, he opted for a one-legged bike throw at 60 km/h, momentarily throwing him off balance and perilously close to the barriers, almost crashing.

Witness the breathtaking finish below.