Team Visma | Lease a Bike concludes spring classics with twelfth place Benoot in Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Tough weather conditions seemed to play a role in the 110th edition of La Doyenne, but as the race progressed the sun showed itself more and more often. At La Redoute, one of the most difficult climbs, the race really ignited after an attack by Pogacar. There Benoot took place in a chasing group, which would eventually battle for a podium place.
The Belgian manifested himself more and more in the chasing group. In the closing stages, Benoot felt strong, but the 30-year-old rider did not manage to create a gap. Behind Pogacar and Romain Bardet, Benoot sprinted in to twelfth place.
Benoot gave his take on the race afterwards. “In the beginning I didn’t feel very well. Eventually I got through and on the Roche-aux-Faucons I was among the better riders. The final sprint was difficult because I was a bit boxed in. I think I was stronger than twelfth in the race, but that’s how it is. Pogacar was clearly the strongest today and the deserved winner. At the moment of his attack, I chose my pace well, which left me some power for later in the race. I am happy with the legs I had in the past races. Now I’m taking some rest and I’m actually happy with that,” the Belgian said.
“We had hoped for another top ten classification in the final part of the classic spring,” sports director Arthur van Dongen stated after Liège-Bastogne-Liège. “Tiesj was good enough for that today. In the end he just didn’t make it in the sprint. With the strong headwind, it was a closed race for a long time. In my opinion, Tiesj managed his race well. Unfortunately, he just missed out on a top ten in the finale.”
“Given all the circumstances, I think it is a realistic reflection”
Arthur van Dongen about the Ardennes races
Van Dongen finally looks back briefly on the Ardennes races. “In the Amstel Gold Race and Flèche Wallonne we rode a good race as a team. Today, partly due to circumstances, we were with too few riders in the final. Perhaps we could have squeezed a little more out of it, but all in all we can be satisfied with the results and the way of racing in the past races. Given all the circumstances, I think it is a realistic reflection.”
Liège-Bastogne-Liège
One day race
Result
Result
1
Tadej Pogačar
UAE Team Emirates
06:13:48
2
Romain Bardet
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL
+00:01:39
3
Mathieu van der Poel
Alpecin – Deceuninck
+00:02:02
12
Tiesj Benoot
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
+00:02:02
40
Attila Valter
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
+00:04:46
90
Milan Vader
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
+00:19:13
102
Loe van Belle
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
+00:22:32
–
Ben Tulett
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
DNF
–
Tosh Van der Sande
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
DNF
–
Julien Vermote
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
DNF
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Subjects
Cycling – World Tour men
Tiesj Benoot
Arthur van Dongen
1
Liège-Bastogne-Liège
