"He was in intensive care for 12 days and was ready to finish second at the Tour" - Tiesj Benoot uses Jonas Vingegaard as comeback inspiration
Cycling
For more than a decade, Tiesj Benoot measured his seasons in cobbles, punchy climbs and white gravel roads. This year, for the first time in his professional career, the Spring will unfold without him.
Benoot, who was one of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team’s major signings for 2026 after four years with Team Visma - Lease a Bike, was seen as one of the French squad’s key hopes for the Classics campaign that begins this weekend.
16 weeks ahead to recover his smille
The defining moment of his career remains his victory at Strade Bianche in 2018, when he conquered brutal conditions to claim a triumph that shaped his trajectory on the roads of Tuscany. Since then, he has been a constant presence in the biggest one-day races, repeatedly making it into the decisive phases of the Tour of Flanders and the Amstel Gold Race.
The Belgian rider will be sidelined for a long period, estimated at 16 weeks, after undergoing surgery for an inguinal hernia. “I was in a lot of pain, so I’m happy they removed it,” Benoot told Sporza. “It’s good that a cause has been found for my issues. Now a long rehabilitation awaits me.”
Benoot hopes to receive the green light later this month as he works toward one of the objectives he set with the team for his season, the Tour de France. “Originally it was in my program and I would love to be there as well. But it’s still too early to say that it will be a target.”
For now, he is limited to 300 metres of walking per hour. “If I get the green light on Tuesday, I can start rehabilitation with the physiotherapist. Normally, I should be able to train properly again in a few weeks.”
Tiesj Benoot, here still in Visma colours, at the 2025 Tour de France
An inspiration called Jonas Vingegaard
Wout van Aert, his former teammate and close friend, sent him a gift to lift his spirits as he goes through this difficult period away from the bike. “I’ve already eaten quite a bit of chocolate,” Benoot laughs. “That’s a little less ideal for me as a rider. I’m going to spend the longest period of my career without a bike.”
Yet there is both disappointment and hope in the words of the 31-year-old rider. “I’ve already swallowed the disappointment of having to miss the Spring. But I’m motivated to come back at least at the same level.”
Classics are out, but the Tour de France remains possible. He believes everything is still within reach and points to Jonas Vingegaard as an example, after the Dane crashed at Itzulia Basque Country, recovered and made it to the start of the Grand Boucle. “He was in intensive care for 12 days and was ready to finish second at the Tour about eight weeks later. I don’t compare myself to that, but I hope to be there.”
“If I can ride for two or three weeks without problems, we’ll be able to better estimate where I stand. I’ve ridden the Tour nine times, so I know it’s no gift if you’re only at 80 per cent.”
For now, Tiesj Benoot knows he will have to watch his favourite races from the sofa at home, the events where he feels most at ease. “Although that might be even harder in the Spring, because those are the races I train for all winter and where my heart truly lies.”
Carlos Silva is a writer for CyclingUpToDate.com, where he contributes race reports, interviews, analysis pieces, and live coverage of the international cycling calendar. Holding a degree in Sports from the Jean Piaget Institute, he combines academic knowledge of performance, training, and competition with hands-on journalism experience in professional cycling.
Throughout his career, Carlos has conducted interviews with leading figures in the sport, including Alberto Contador, Joaquim Rodríguez, Óscar Pereiro, João Almeida, Isaac del Toro, Derek Gee, John Degenkolb and Geraint Thomas. These conversations reflect direct engagement with Grand Tour winners, Classics specialists, and emerging talents.
He has provided on-site coverage at major events ranging from the Vuelta a España to the Tour de France, alongside stage races such as Vuelta a Andalucía, Volta ao Algarve, Volta a Portugal and O Gran Camiño. Covering the mythical climbs of the Giro d'Italia remains one of his professional ambitions.
Carlos is responsible for liveblog coverage of all major WorldTour races and beyond, including the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España. His reporting integrates verified data from ProCyclingStats to ensure statistical accuracy, contextual depth, and analytical precision.
A lifelong cycling enthusiast, he approaches storytelling across written, photographic, and video formats with a focus on credibility, tactical insight, and informed race interpretation.
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- I see I missed a lot during my boycott.Jumpyjohn05-11-2026
- What kind of sauce is on that rice? Ketchup?Kbd05-11-2026
- 18 broken bones. 78 crashes, among 30 rider per year is a lot. so for a rider over 15 seasons, they will break their bones 7-8 times and crash 38 times.abstractengineer04-11-2026
- i dont think he is ready ot win against the top 2 or the 2nd rung of evenepoel, del toro , Almeida. In the third week in the TDF he was very very defensive, no attacks. i think he was exhausted. right now he needs time not the brutal Giro or the intense TDF.abstractengineer04-11-2026
- Rota is an excellent rider to get in a break with because he always does his turnchapmanesque04-11-2026
- That 3000 extra that the Tour de France is built up in the flat stages
Rafionain-Glas04-11-2026 - maybe this is something else they can protest in the streets of France.mij04-11-2026
- his Roubaix win was amazing. not to take anything away from him - arguably one of MVDP's wins was at the expense of a WVA flat - but so many things need to line up to get one of these. He had a perfect race with fewer bike issues on an attritional course. And crazy strong as usual. Glad he got this done.mij04-11-2026
- Orts was a super smart signing with the new rules regarding cross and UCI pointsmij04-11-2026
- Podcast sounds great. Two so called experts stating the f*cking obvious.wrsty04-11-2026
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