Belgian cyclist Arnaud De Lie suffers from Lyme disease, which could explain his recent disappointing results, his team Lotto-Dstny said on Thursday.
“During further examinations, Lyme disease was diagnosed in Arnaud De Lie after the discovery of antibodies in his blood
,” announced the Belgian team.
“This is possibly the reason why De Lie was not at a high level during his last races, knowing that a diagnosis of Lyme disease is never 100% conclusive
,” she said. added. De Lie, 22, was still on a 51st place at the E3 Grand Prix and an anonymous 90th place at Ghent-Wevelgem when he announced on Monday that he was going to take a break.
The
“
Lescheret bull
”
then mentioned
“several reasons”
, including an illness in January and a fall in February.
“It will take him some time to reset and prepare for the second part of the season
,” his team added.
Lyme borreliosis or Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by bacteria transmitted to humans through the bites of infected ticks. Rarely fatal, it can cause flu-like symptoms, including muscle and joint pain, headache, nausea and vomiting.
According to a meta analysis compiling studies published in 2022, more than 14% of the world's population has had Lyme disease.