From day one, Arnaud De Lie's Tour de France had not started under a good star. Today the Belgian rider was forced to abandon the Tour during the third stage. After suffering from an abdominal infection in the days before the start, and despite constant progress in his recovery, the demands of today's stage, disputed with scorching temperatures approaching 40°C, proved excessive for the Walloon.

After falling behind, De Lie did everything possible to stay in the race, supported for many kilometers by his teammate Baptiste Veistroffer. The three Pyrenean climbs in the final part of the stage, combined with extreme heat, made the challenge even more difficult. To safeguard his health, the Belgian finally decided to get off his bike on the last climb of the day.

"It's obviously a huge disappointment. I worked for months to be ready for this Tour de France and I dreamed of fighting for the sprints - De Lie said through a team statement - Unfortunately, this stomach infection has weakened me greatly. I gave everything I had in the first two stages, but today I simply didn't have the legs to continue, especially with this extreme heat. I stayed in a small group behind Baptiste Veistroffer, but the succession of climbs at the end was simply too demanding. I told Baptiste to go ahead so he could get back within the time limit. The only thing I can do now is focus on a complete recovery and come back stronger for the rest of the season."