Benoot eleventh in Flèche Wallonne

Benoot eleventh in Flèche Wallonne

Tiesj Benoot has finished eleventh in the Flèche Wallonne. In a race that only exploded into life on the final climb, the rider of Team Jumbo-Visma rode to the top with the best. The victory went to Dylan Teuns.

The 202-kilometre race had a traditional course from the start. Shortly before noon, the riders were launched under a spring sun and ten riders broke away from the peloton. They gained a maximum lead of about four minutes. Nevertheless, the final climb of the Wall of Huy was tackled by a compact peloton.

"Dit resultaat geeft mij voldoening."

Tiesj Benoot

"This result gives us hope for Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday", Benoot said. "We were betting on Jonas Vingegaard for the final, but he had a bad day. This result gives me satisfaction. I think it's a realistic result. The arrival at the Wall of Huy is for specialists. The light men have the advantage. This race helps me and the team prepare for Sunday's race."

"We could live with the eleventh place."

Grischa Niermann

Sports director Grischa Niermann said that the team could live with the eleventh place but had hoped for more. "We came here to get a good result with Tiesj and Jonas. Jonas said halfway through the race he didn't feel well. The team worked hard to get Tiesj to the foot of the Wall of Huy in the best possible way. Tiesj rode a strong climb but dropped back in the final metres. It is not Tiesj's specialty because he is not the most explosive rider. Jonas often has an off day in a one-day race. Maybe he was still experiencing the after-effects of the difficult past weeks."

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