Benoot backs Van Aert to conquer cobbled Classics after season in ‘rehab mode’

Van Aert has not won a Monument since he claimed the pandemic-delayed 2020 edition of Milan-San Remo, and he has been replaced by Pogacar as Van der Poel’s rival in the duel that defines the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

In a wide-ranging interview with Domestique, Benoot said that the lingering effects of heavy crashes in 2024 should be factored into any assessment of Van Aert’s performances in the Classics last spring. Benoot will ride for Decathlon CMA CGM in 2026 after four years as Van Aert’s teammate at Visma | Lease a Bike.

“I think we cannot underestimate the season Wout had in 2024: the injuries he had were super demanding both physically and mentally,” Benoot told Domestique. “But I think his victory on Montmartre on the Tour meant that he could turn the page mentally. He won a stage in the Tour again and he actually did it in a head-to-head with Tadej Pogacar, so I still believe he can win the biggest Classics.”

Benoot acknowledged that the demanding nature of the modern Tour of Flanders course allied to the presence of Pogacar and Van der Poel complicated Van Aert’s path to Ronde victory.

“For the Tour of Flanders, I’m not sure, but for Paris-Roubaix, yes, I’m sure he can win it,” he said. “You never know how it goes, but if he’s in super shape on the day, then he can do it. He finished last season on a good level and if he has a good winter, that will really make a big difference.

“Last year, he was still actually more in a rehab mode in November, December and January, whereas now he can really build again. Going from year to year without big injuries is something that is often underestimated – it’s so important to be able to train well every year without big setbacks.”

Benoot praised Van Aert’s leadership qualities during their time together, highlighting how he shouldered responsibility for defeat at this year’s Dwars door Vlaanderen, when Neilson Powless claimed victory despite being outnumbered by three Visma riders in the four-man winning move.

“I got to see close up how a guy like him can also have difficulties, but I think that also makes him very popular in Belgium, because he shows that he’s a real human,” Benoot said. 

Benoot looks set to serve as a road captain for Decathlon CMA CGM at the Tour de France, but he is also likely to take on more of a leadership role in the cobbled Classics. While Visma’s strength in depth helped Benoot to victory at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne in 2023, he is less convinced that having numbers in the finale makes quite the same impact over Monument distance anymore, especially at the Tour of Flanders.

“The problem is they’ve made the route so hard that it’s man against man in the final,” Benoot said. “You can still do something with the team, but the problem is that if somebody like Pogacar is 10% better than everyone else, on course like the Flanders one nowadays, it’s hard to make the difference against him. But it’s also nice: it’s a race that deserves the best winner.”