"A lot is possible" - Tiesj Benoot hopeful of delivering success for Team Visma | Lease a Bike at Liege-Bastogne-Liege

With Liege-Bastogne-Liege this Sunday, for Team Visma | Lease a Bike, hopes will rest upon the shoulders of Tiesj Benoot. Given his impressive form of late, the Belgian has reason to be optimistic.

“I especially hope that it is not as cold as Wednesday. I've never been so cold during a race," previews Benoot at the Liege-Bastogne-Liege team presentation in conversation with Sporza, referencing the horrific conditions riders had to battle through at La Fleche Wallonne, with the Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader, eventually finishing 9th. "We were really surprised by it. It was very difficult to get clothes. I couldn't even feel my hands in my gloves anymore. So I hope it will be different tomorrow.”

With support from the likes of Milan Vader and Attila Valter among others, there is hopeful optimism within Team Visma | Lease a Bike that Benoot can challenge pre-race favourites Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar.

“I will certainly be a candidate tomorrow, but then everything has to go well," Benoot himself analyses. "On the Roche aux Faucons I usually reach the top within a few seconds, with the leaders in sight, but after that there is not much playable anymore. I just hope to have my best day of the Ardennes triptych tomorrow, then a lot is possible."