Tiesj Benoot's move to Decathlon CMA CGM (as the team will be called from 2026 onwards) is a transfer that could shift the balance at the cobbled Classics. Over the past seasons, Team Visma | Lease a Bike have been a dominant force of spring (in absence of Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar at least!), but with two of the cornerstones of their squad; Benoot and Dylan van Baarle setting out on a new adventure, there will hopefully be some new outfits in the mix for big victories in 2026.
Benoot has been proving his worth in one-day races as well as at Grand Tours for many years, although his last big victory dates to 2023 when he triumphed at the Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne. This year, he arrive 3rd at Dwars door Vlaanderen, 6th at Tour of Flanders, but also 4th at Clasica San Sebastian and 8th at Amstel Gold Race, underlining his versatility.
Such a consistent top-10 finisher at the biggest of summer Classics that is Benoot had multiple offers on the table for his future whereabouts, including a generous renewal offer from his current team, what ultimately shifted the balance in favor of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale?
"It's a combination of factors," Benoot begins his story at Het Laatste Nieuws. "I've been thoroughly informed by Oliver Naesen and Stan Dewulf, who is one of my best friends, but also by Johannes Staune-Mittet, who took the same step last year. My new team has a vision and structure that I believe in."
Finances
Although he would be paid more than fair salary at Visma | Lease a Bike with a new contract, the world's second best team is operating a slightly tight budget with so many fresh talent such as Matthew Brennan asking for their place in the cycling peloton. Meanwhile the French team backed up sports giant Decathlon can afford to go an extra mile for a leader like Benoot to fill in a blank space in the team's roster.
"The financial aspect also plays a role. At Team Visma | Lease a Bike, I'm well paid and I was able to extend my contract with attractive terms, but my new team also made it clear how much they wanted me. All of this made me decide it was time for a change and a change in my career."
Visma will have to look for another co-leader to support Wout van Aert from next season
Richard Plugge said in an earlier interview that the team can't compete with the financial clout of the up and coming superteams. "Richard's new offer was really good and not disrespectful at all. I think it was a realistic offer for him, based on what he could and was willing to offer for a rider of my caliber. I'm grateful to him for that, but I know that everyone is replaceable, and that includes Tiesj Benoot."
Although many of his teammates will be sad about his departure, including Wout van Aert. "I will miss Wout in terms of personality, teammate, and person. I shouldn't beat around the bush, but cycling is and will always be my job, not just a club of friends. Wout knows that too. He sincerely congratulated me on my transfer."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- lol yeah. this is a good onemij12-11-2026
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- he's too young. he's 23, so not really a fair call yet.mij12-11-2026
- and don't forget Pidcock's departure. maybe he will never win a GT, but he knows how to light up a race.mij12-11-2026
- Bingo...I was going to say a 12 year obsessed Pogi fan girlie ! Like she's chasing a teen boy band! All glossy eyed about tadej!frieders312-11-2026
- That stint in the Pink was so good. If memory serves he struggled with the champagne cuz he'd never been on the podium before. I feel like it gave him some self-belief, and yeah - then the move to Visma to be one of their lieutenants has really brought him to the best version of himself.wrsty12-11-2026
- So, you never really compared Paul Seixas with his main rival Isaac Del Toro why jump to Pogačar? They've (Paul & Isaac) raced together here and there, and they've both shared in wins and losses, I think they should be compared to each other, even with Vingegaard and Remco first before even touching Pogačar. From your writing it's like he's better than Vingegaard, Remco and Del Toro already that his main target is now Pogačar 🤔Sadick11-11-2026
- gee i hope its a minor injury. a great rider and ambassador for the sport. get well soon Lucinda.
Davide11-11-2026 - some of lidl-treks retention and recruiting has been puzzling in the mens and womens teams.Davide11-11-2026
- Yeah his ride at World's was unreal. Over 6 W/kg for over an hour and a half...he single handedly destroyed the break.DAS11-11-2026
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