Lot Doustony has announced his team for the Tour de France. He will be led by debutant Arnaud Des Rieres and star rider Maxime Van Gils.

Joining Lotto's two key men will be the experienced Victor Campenaerts, Brent Van Moors, Jarrad Drizners, Herm Van Hoek, Sebastien Grignard, and Cedric Bollens.

De Lier will be competing in his first Tour after an impressive victory in the Belgian national championship road race, defeating last year's best sprinter in the Tour, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Desseuninck), in a group finish to Zottegem.

Although he was to fulfill his dream of wearing the Belgian band at the Tour, it was not smooth sailing for the 22-year-old Belgian to compete in the Grand Depart in Florence on June 29. A disappointing performance in the spring classics and a bout with Lyme disease in March even led him to doubt his talent on the bike.

"[E3] I was in bad shape in Harelbeke and worst in Ghent-Wevelgem. It was a moment when I asked myself, 'Arnaud, what are you doing on the bike? De Lee, who won the Belgian championship, told Het Laatste Nieuws.

"I didn't touch the bike for 10 days. And after those 10 days, I didn't feel like riding a bike again. I said to myself, 'Arnaud, grit your teeth. The joy came back. I went to Nice for a week and really enjoyed it.

"Winning the Famennes [Ardennes Classic] brought back my confidence. Three months have passed since Ghent-Wevelgem and I am the Belgian champion. I really can't believe it."

It was rock bottom for the young Belgian, who burst onto the scene in his first two and a half seasons as a professional with Lotto, winning 23 races, including last year's GP Quebec and Sunday's Belgian Championship.

"After the Classics, I had a mental breakdown," De Lier told Sporza, choking back tears. 'I sacrificed a lot to come back from Lyme disease.'

He is back to his best, with four wins between April 28 and now, and has his sights set on his debut Tour, with no expectations or pressure from Lotto Dostony.

"Arnaud comes to the Tour without pressure. It's his first time participating, so there are no expectations on him," said sports manager Kurt van de Wouwer.

"He comes to the Tour to learn and gain experience. Of course there are stages that are suitable for him and he can test his chances in the sprints.

De Lier will be joined by Philipsen, 2023 Champs Elysées winner Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe), Tibau Nys (Lidl-Trek), Wout Van Aert (Wisma-Ries-a-Bike), Tim Merrier (Soudal-Quick Step) He will be competing against.

He will be competitive in the flat sprints, but he also has his sights set on the uphill sprint to Colombie-les-Deux-Eglise at the end of the first week, where he will be challenged by De Lier and Mads Pedersen (Lidl Trek).

"I like stage 8. In a flat sprint, Philipsen might be faster," de Lier told HLN. 'There's no finish line. The Tour is new, so it's not good to be too confident."

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