Van Aert and Benoot finish just outside top ten in GP de Québec

# Van Aert and Benoot Miss Top Ten in GP de Québec

In a sun-soaked Québec, a challenging eighteen-lap circuit set the stage for the one-day Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec on Friday. A quiet start transitioned into an electrifying competition with about eighty kilometers to go, as a few strong cyclists, including Christophe Laporte, made their mark on the race.

As the tempo picked up with the support of the enthusiastic crowd, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike riders took command at the front of the peloton. However, despite various attempts to bridge the gap to the leaders, none proved successful. In the final lap, French rider Julian Alaphilippe launched a decisive attack from the front group, sealing his victory.

Wout van Aert and Tiesj Benoot, both of Team Visma, sprinted to finish just outside the top ten in the chasing group. Van Aert expressed his feelings post-race: “I look back with mixed feelings. We weren’t positioned well enough once the finale began. We couldn’t follow the counterattacks, and the chase never really got organized. The plan was for Tiesj and me to save something for the last lap. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out.”

He added, “We had to react a bit too early to neutralize attacks. By the final ascent of the climb, we were no longer riding for the win but just for a place of honour. There was definitely more possible today, but I also have to admit that I simply didn’t have the legs to win.”

The race concluded with Alaphilippe taking the top spot, finishing in 5 hours, 4 minutes, and 32 seconds, followed by Pavel Sivakov and Alberto Bettiol, who crossed the line just seconds later.

The competition continues with the GP de Montréal scheduled for Sunday, providing the black-and-yellow team another chance on a more challenging course featuring over 4,500 meters of elevation.

### Results Highlights:
1. Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) – 05:04:32
2. Pavel Sivakov (UAE Team Emirates – XRG) – +00:00:02
3. Alberto Bettiol (XDS Astana Team) – +00:00:04
14. Wout van Aert (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – +00:00:17
16. Tiesj Benoot (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) – +00:00:17