"I chose to go all-in" - Visma go on all-out attack in Québec but come up short of podium

Team Visma | Lease a Bike were not the all-out favourites to win the GP de Québec but put in a very strong performance that tilted the scale in their favour. The Dutch team attacked several times and still had the cards to put two riders in the Top5.

"This was a really strong race from the team. When Matteo launched his attack, it created a great situation for us," Tiesj Benoot said in words shared by the Dutch team. "We were able to sit back and let it play out." After Jan Tratnik attacked in the penultimate lap, Matteo Jorgenson made a move with 11 kilometers to go that threatened the peloton. In this race these attacks never work however, killing the American's chances of taking a win; but the pace that the peloton was forced to push made it a more suiting finale for his teammates who benefited from a hard race.

When the attacks started in the final small ascents Visma didn't have anyone to match, but both Tiesj Benoot and Per Strand Hagenes put in smart and strong rides to be in the right place at the right time. Benoot started his sprint from the wheel of Michael Matthews himself and despite not being a sprinter, he attempted to go for the win in the uphill drag to the line.

"I didn’t want to start my sprint too early because of the headwind. Suddenly I saw Matthews start his sprint, and I felt like I still had something left, so I decided to go for it," the Belgian, fourth at the finish, explained. "Unfortunately, my effort stalled about a hundred meters from the line. I think I could have finished on the podium if I had stayed in the slipstream a little longer, but I chose to go all-in."

Per Strand Hagenes finished right behind him with an impressive fifth place for the neo-pro. "Per also managed to sprint well behind me. I think we can be satisfied with having two riders in the top five. This strong team performance gives us confidence heading into the GP de Montréal on Sunday."