Tiesj Benoot, the Belgian Cyclist has joined Team Jumbo-Visma and is now more than happy, plans to bring out the best in him. He has also expressed his excitement and gratitude, looks forward to working with Van Aert. He firmly believes that now as the teams are different, he can form a really strong tag team with Van Aert. Benoot has also come a really far away and is now considered an all-rounder beast.
His performance has certainly improved quite a lot and now the Belgian has collected many wins for his career. Amongst them are Strade Bianche, finishing the Tour of Flanders in the top five, Tirreno-Adriatico, and Tour de Suisse. Although, now that he has aligned with Jumbo-Visma, he expects to push himself to the absolute limits.
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Benoot stated in an interview,
I’ve often missed that in my career, to be part of a team with one of the big favorites or with a fast guy who nobody wants to go to the finish. (Courtesy of WielerFlits)
At Team DSM I hoped it would work out with Michael Matthews but in the one spring we rode together I didn’t race much after Paris-Nice. And Wout is a step higher than Matthews.
Benoot’s goals for this season include the Tirreno-Adriatico, although he is not aiming for solo-play now. He aims to build a strong bond with Mike Teunissen, Van Aert, and even Christophe Laporte. His goals stretch far beyond himself as he aims to bring countless wins to Jumbo-Visma.
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Benoot also expressed his vision and strategy for Jumbo-Visma. For Gent-Wevelgem which is a flat-out race, he recommended the Van Aert to take the lead but he also advised strict teamwork for Tour of Flanders which is a harder race than others.
He stated,
At the Tour of Flanders, it’s not the intention to have six guys in front with Wout in the wheel. We have to get to the final with as many as possible and then play it out. Both Wout, Christophe, and I finished in the top 12 last year. Mike wasn’t there. That opens up perspectives for everyone.
During the opening weekend of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, Benoot will be starting his career at Jumbo-Visma. From there, he has a long list of races planned, like the Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico, E3 Saxo Bank Classic, and much more. Amongst these races, four will be shared with Van Aert, he and Benoot formed a close friendship during the Tokyo Olympics.
His friendship is also a cause of him leaving DSM, Benoot was amazed how Jumbo-Visma worked with Van Aert and how they shared visions. Team DSM and Benoot had different visions for the future, that is one of the major reasons why Benoot made the shift to Jumbo-Visma.
Benoot has a strong and bright future ahead of him at Jumbo-Visma, we can’t wait for how the teams form with Van Aert and the others. The cycling season of 2022 is looking more competitive and entertaining than ever.
Featured Image Via Instagram/tiesj
