"It's a shame for Wout and for the team that we don't win the stage" - Jumbo-Visma's work through the lens of Tiesj Benoot
Cycling
Tiesj Benoot survived yesterday's climbs at the Tour de France to play a key support role for the team's ambitions, but in the end the work did not pay off. He tells how the stage finale went through his point of view, having worked for Wout van Aert.
As UAE Team Emirates exploded the race on the Alto de Jaizkibel, a group of 24 riders emerged after the climb united into the flat section. Several attacks emerged then, Jumbo-Visma voluntarily hit the front of the group as Wout van Aert was the strongest sprinter in the group. Benoot and Wilco Kelderman resisted the high pace and then were tasked with chasing down as many attacks as possible.
“Then it makes sense if we are looked at, with Wout also being the fastest of that group. It is not easy to control such a group of top riders with only Wilco [Kelderman] and me. Just not, a shame," Benoot shared in an interview with NOS. “I rode in the lead towards that last nod at three kilometers. Then Pidcock went from the back and I was dropped. They didn't make a jump-off, so I could still come back between the cars at eight hundred, nine hundred meters. Then I made one last effort for Wout. The moment I put myself aside for Wout, I saw that someone was still riding in front. That really sucked.”
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The several attacks, in search of a stage win, took enough out of the duo that when Victor Lafay attacked in the final kilometer there wasn't firepower to chase him down. The team did not force Jonas Vingegaard to work on the run-up to the sprint. “It sucks, but of course we can also be happy with the opening weekend. Jonas had a puncture today, but we put that right very nicely for the Jaizkibel. I think he has shown that he is really strong."
"It's a shame for Wout and for the team that we don't win the stage, but there are still plenty of stages to suit him. I think this was a good confirmation for the team. If you are with four men on twenty riders, then you have a good team, I think.”
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
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- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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🇫🇷 #TDF2023 Approaching 🇫🇷. A stage for the fast guys today?
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