Arnaud De Lie won the fourth stage of the Ethias-Tour de Wallonie in Eupen, Sheehan remained first in the overall standings
Arnaud De Lie claimed victory in the fourth stage of the 2026 Ethias-Tour de Wallonie, after a finish in which he caught and overtook Riley Sheehan on the climb toward the finish in Eupen. According to the official race program, the stage was held on 4 June 2026 from Dison to Eupen, over a 166.70-kilometre route, and the organiser classified it among the undulating, or hilly, stages. According to the results published by ProCyclingStats, De Lie, a rider for the Lotto Intermarché team, won with a time of 4:07:57, ahead of Sheehan from NSN Cycling Team and Ben Oliver from Modern Adventure Pro Cycling. Despite missing out on the stage victory, Sheehan, according to the published overall standings after the fourth stage, remained the leading rider of the race ahead of the final day. For the Belgian sprinter and specialist in explosive finishes, it was a victory that came after several days in which his team had failed to turn its work into a result at the very top.
The finish decided in the final metres of the climb
The finish in Eupen offered a scenario typical of Walloon roads: fatigue after a series of climbs, a reduced group of favourites and an attack that looked strong enough to hold out to the finish. According to Cyclingnews’ report, Sheehan went solo in the closing kilometres, separated himself from his main rivals and at one point looked like the future stage winner. The American rider, known for his victory at Paris-Tours in 2023, attacked on the hilly part of the route and opened a gap that forced the teams behind him into pursuit. Lotto Intermarché and Netcompany INEOS led the main group, while Laurence Pithie of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe tried to respond alone to Sheehan’s move. In the final few hundred metres, De Lie launched from the group, carried his speed onto the final climb and first overtook Pithie, then Sheehan just before the finish line.
Such an outcome made the victory especially important for De Lie, because he achieved it on terrain that was not a classic flat sprinters’ finish. ProCyclingStats states that the final kilometre had an average gradient of 5.0 percent, which explains why the finale was not only about maximum speed, but also about the ability to sustain an explosion at the end of a demanding stage. According to the same source, the winner’s average speed was 40.339 kilometres per hour, with 2432 metres of elevation gain on the route. This shows that earlier efforts, and not only positioning in the final kilometre, also decided the winner. After the finish, according to Cyclingnews’ report, De Lie emphasised that the victory gave him great confidence and that the team finally had a day in which everything came together after earlier problems.
Second place for Sheehan, but also the most important jersey
Riley Sheehan finished second, but his ride was not merely an attempt at a stage victory. According to the published results and reports after the stage, Sheehan profited in the fight for the overall standings from the attack, bonus seconds and gaps in the finish zone, so ahead of the final stage he was leading the general classification. Cyclingnews states that Sheehan began the day with a time deficit to Kim Heiduk, but in the finale, through his attack and bonus seconds, he managed to take the orange jersey. The available detailed results after the fourth stage confirm that he was at the top of the general standings ahead of the final day. The key sporting fact therefore remains clear: after the Dison – Eupen stage, Sheehan had the best position among the candidates for overall victory.
His second place carries additional weight because he achieved the result through an active attack, and not merely by following his rivals. In stage races of this profile, bonus seconds often change the standings, especially when the gaps among the leaders are small. In the finale, Sheehan took a risk, expended himself in a solo ride and lost the stage victory only in the final metres. Still, that attack changed the balance of power ahead of the last section from Bassenge to Aubel. In such a situation, the NSN Cycling Team enters the final day with a clear task: to defend the advantage on undulating terrain where more attacks are expected, but also to carefully control the bonus sprints and the finish.
Oliver again among the best after an earlier stage victory
Third place was taken by Ben Oliver, the New Zealand rider of Modern Adventure Pro Cycling, who had already played an important role in the overall picture during the first days of the race. According to the organiser’s official results, Oliver was the winner of the second stage from Jodoigne to Libramont-Chevigny, and at that time he also claimed one of the most important victories for his team on the European calendar. In Eupen he did not repeat the stage triumph, but he remained close enough to the best riders to confirm his consistency in a race that combines sprinting, short climbs and tactically demanding finales. ProCyclingStats records him after the fourth stage in third place in the stage standings, four seconds behind De Lie. Such a result further strengthened the impression that Modern Adventure Pro Cycling did not appear in Wallonia merely as an episodic participant, but as a team capable of influencing the development of the race.
Oliver’s role is especially interesting because of the way the race, up to the fourth stage, changed the riders carrying the pressure of results. The first stage, according to the organiser’s official results, was won by Jordi Meeus, the second by Oliver, the third by Laurence Pithie and the fourth by De Lie. Such a distribution of winners shows that no team completely controlled the race from start to finish. Each day brought a different type of finale, although the gaps remained small enough for the overall standings to stay open. In that context, Oliver’s third place in Eupen was not an isolated result, but a continuation of a stable performance in a race in which several rider profiles were fighting for the general classification.
The Dison – Eupen stage bore the features of a Walloon classic
The official Ethias-Tour de Wallonie website states that the fourth stage was 166.70 kilometres long and that it belonged among the undulating stages. In the race data, ProCyclingStats records 2432 metres of elevation gain and lists the climbs Côte de Ligneuville, Côte de la Ferme Libert and Côte de Ster as key mountainous points of the profile. Such a configuration suits riders who can survive selection on the climbs but still have enough explosiveness for the final showdown. That is why the stage attracted the attention of sprinter-classicists, puncheurs and riders capable of attacking from a reduced group. In the finale, precisely such a profile proved decisive: Sheehan tried to win from an attack, while De Lie used his strength and sense of timing in the final metres.
According to Cyclingnews’ report, the early breakaway of the day consisted of eight riders, and the remains of that group were caught 23 kilometres before the finish. After that followed a phase in which attack attempts alternated with control from teams that wanted to keep the finale under supervision. Yorben Lauryssen tried to open a new situation before the final resolution, but according to the same report his attack was neutralised about eight kilometres before the finish. Only Sheehan’s move on the hilly part of the finale seriously changed the dynamics of the race and forced the favourites into a late chase. Ultimately, it turned out that the final climb was hard enough to take the attacker’s last reserves away, but also short enough for an explosive finisher such as De Lie to make up the gap in the very finale.
The race through Wallonia and the broader context of the result
The 2026 Ethias-Tour de Wallonie is held from 1 to 5 June 2026, and according to the calendar of the Union Cycliste Internationale it is a 2.Pro category race within the UCI ProSeries. The official race website states that the 2026 edition includes five stages and a total of 892.83 kilometres, with 15 categorised climbs, 17 climbs in the broader profile, intermediate sprints and special radar sectors. The route began with the Manage – Lobbes stage, continued across the Jodoigne – Libramont-Chevigny and Habay – Vaux-sur-Sûre sections, and on the fourth day brought the caravan from Dison to Eupen. The final stage on 5 June 2026 leads from Bassenge to Aubel, according to the official program over a 176.45-kilometre route. Thus the race remains open until the final day, because the final stage also has an undulating profile that can change the gaps in the overall standings.
The importance of the fourth stage lies not only in De Lie’s victory, but also in the change of the tactical framework for the final day. Sheehan has an advantage ahead of the finale, but it is not one that would allow passive defence without risk. With his stage victory, De Lie showed that Lotto Intermarché has the form and motivation for an aggressive performance, while Modern Adventure Pro Cycling, with Oliver, remains close to the top and can use any hesitation from rivals. At the same time, riders such as Pithie, Heiduk and Carlos Canal have shown during the race that they can be dangerous in selective finishes. In such a situation, the final day is not merely a formality, but a continuation of a battle in which every bonus second, position on the climb and decision by team directors can have a direct impact on the final outcome.
A Belgian winner in front of the home crowd
De Lie’s victory also has a local dimension because he is a Belgian rider who triumphed in a Belgian race, in a region where short, steep climbs and technically demanding finales form a recognisable part of road cycling. Lotto Intermarché, according to the official team list, is one of the WorldTeam squads in this year’s edition, and De Lie delivered victory in Eupen precisely in the type of finale that suits his strongest characteristics. According to Cyclingnews, after the finish the Belgian stressed the importance of the team’s work and the fact that he had been well positioned all day. Such a statement fits the flow of the stage, because the late pursuit required not only individual effort, but also prior control of position in the group. In the end, the deciding factor was the ability to take the initiative at the hardest moment and to carry the attack to the finish line before running out of road.
For De Lie, the triumph in Eupen also came as an answer to a series of situations in which, during the season and the race itself, he had to search for rhythm. In a separate text ahead of the fourth stage, Cyclingnews wrote about his problems and frustrations, and the victory the following day changed the tone of the story. In sporting terms, it brings him a result, but also confirmation that he can win a finale in which endurance, explosiveness and patience must be combined. In psychological terms, such a victory is often worth more than the stage statistics alone, especially when it comes after a period in which the impression of form had not been converted into wins. Still, the race is not over: Sheehan remains in the best position for the overall standings, and the last stage toward Aubel carries enough challenges for the final picture to remain open until the last kilometres.
Top five in the fourth stage Dison – Eupen:
- 1. Arnaud De Lie, Lotto Intermarché, 4:07:57
- 2. Riley Sheehan, NSN Cycling Team, same time
- 3. Ben Oliver, Modern Adventure Pro Cycling, +0:04
- 4. Carlos Canal, Movistar Team, +0:07
- 5. Adrien Boichis, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, +0:07
Key facts after the fourth stage:
- The 2026 Ethias-Tour de Wallonie is held from 1 to 5 June as a UCI ProSeries race in the 2.Pro category.
- The fourth stage from Dison to Eupen had 166.70 kilometres and an undulating profile with several climbs.
- De Lie won after catching Sheehan in the final metres on the climb toward the finish.
- After the stage, Sheehan was leading the overall standings ahead of the final day.
- The final stage on 5 June leads from Bassenge to Aubel and is 176.45 kilometres long according to the official race program.
Sources:
- Ethias Tour de Wallonie – official program and description of the 2026 edition, including routes, mileage and stage profiles (link)
- Ethias Tour de Wallonie – official results page with stage winners and jersey holders (link)
- ProCyclingStats – detailed result of the fourth stage Dison – Eupen, standings, winner’s time and stage profile data (link)
- Union Cycliste Internationale – calendar entry for the 2026 Ethias-Tour de Wallonie and 2.Pro classification in the UCI ProSeries (link)
- Cyclingnews – report from the fourth stage, description of the finale, Riley Sheehan’s attack and Arnaud De Lie’s winning finish (link)