For now, at least, Arnaud De Lie can just enjoy the novelty rather than feel overwhelmed by the ever-growing attention. Last Autumn, a week or so before his indelible, one-legged victory at the Famenne Ardenne Classic, he discovered he had even been immortalised in song by Leuven punk band the Ramones van het Groenewoud.
Borrowing rather heavily from Blondie’s ‘Denis’, the three-piece declared their undying admiration for the Lotto-Dstny rider in an enthusiastic combination of English, French and Dutch (sample lyric: “You are a bull, you sprint just like a cat/You’re super cool, you ain’t no chasse patate.”) De Lie was alerted to the homage by his mother as he made his way home after his fourth-place finish at the European Championships.
