'Stop riding at the front when Van der Poel and Pogacar are there' - Benoot calls for teams to play their cards right

After spending four seasons with Visma | Lease a Bike, where he was in the squad for both of Jonas Vingegaard’s Tour de France victories, Tiesj Benoot has made the switch to Decathlon CMA CGM for 2026.

The Belgian, during his spell with the team, was also a key presence in the Classics. In 2025, Benoot finished 6th at the Tour of Flanders, 8th at Amstel Gold Race, and 13th at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, among other consistently strong results in the Spring. He will be a key asset for the French team in the Classics department in 2026, where two riders have held a monopoly in recent seasons.

In the last nine Monuments or World Championships that both Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar have competed in together, one of the duo has gone on to win. The exception was Milan-San Remo in 2024, though Van der Poel was instrumental in helping his teammate Jasper Philipsen to victory, and Pogačar still managed a third-place finish, illustrating their current influence in the major one-day races.

When asked if there’s anything that can be done about the dominance of the duo in the Classics right now, Benoot was realistic about the different octane in which the duo currently operate, but did highlight how racing strategies from other riders could be different.

"We all have to stop riding at the front when Van der Poel and Pogačar are there. I don't understand that,” Benoot told In de Leiderstrui. “In my opinion, that's racing for second place: if you start helping them…”

Benoot remained realistic with his hopes of winning a maiden Monument to add to his prestigious victories at Strade Bianche in 2018 and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne in 2023, whilst the duo continue to perform at such a level.

"I wouldn't call it a dream. Of course I still have ambitions, but I also know that it won't radically change my life anymore,” said Benoot when asked if he still dreams of winning a Monument.

“What I personally enjoy very much is riding in the finals of those races. Being able to play your part on those biggest days. For me, everything has to come together to be able to win,” added the Belgian.

“Now that Pogačar has started riding the classics and Van der Poel has taken a big step forward, it has become almost utopian for many riders. But something could happen to them too, and of course they don't ride everything. The Tour of Flanders has been made so difficult that tactics no longer play a role. In addition, UAE is also very strong.”

Benoot credited the aggressive racing style of the Lidl-Trek duo Mads Pedersen and Quinn Simmons as a blueprint for the way he likes racing, such as the strong early breakaway at Il Lombardia in 2025, which saw Simmons finish an impressive 4th. A way to test the resolve of the strongest riders early. “I like to see someone like Quinn Simmons racing. And that also applies to Mads Pedersen.”