"That does make a difference..." - Benoot on why Wout Van Aert might be a big favourite to win the World Championships
CyclingMonday, 14 September 2026 at 11:30
Tiesj Benoot has just come off the GP de Montréal where he has been able to remind himself of what racing is around Mount Royal. The World Championships take place on the same roads in the space of two weeks, and the Belgian shared his opinions on his two teammates Wout Van Aert and Remco Evenepoel.
"If Remco goes to the finish with Paul, I think Remco is always faster," Benoot said following the Canadian race to Wielerflits. The scenario this Sunday was Seixas battling against Isaac del Toro however, with Evenepoel having been distanced earlier.
But with trade teams, the tactics are to be more predictable. In the World Championships, where these riders will race on the 27th September, all riders will be racing without radios and with teammates whom they do not compete with throughout the rest of the year.
Belgium is not the team to beat, but is perhaps the one with the most pressure put on them. Benoot knows chaos is to be expected by some of their rivals, but they can be part of it.
“France are known for trying something special and the Italians are as well. I don't think an early move has to be a disadvantage for us. We have enough riders who can follow if a group goes early. And who knows, maybe we will do it ourselves.”
However, the veteran throws in a kind reminder that the race's distance - 273 kilometers - might prove to be a decisive factor in the final hour of the race.
“There will be another fifty or sixty kilometres compared with Sunday. I think that will make it even more man against man.”
Wout Van Aert has finished the Vuelta a España on high form
Why Van Aert might be a favourite for Montréal
But whereas the GP de Montréal is solely based on the urban circuit, the World Championships are not. The race is longer, but features a first third that is mostly flat, and less laps of the tough shark tooth-like circuit.
"We rode sixteen laps here, while at the Worlds it will only be twelve. That does make a difference," he then argued to Sporza.
He believes this benefits Wout Van Aert, who has just come off the Vuelta a España with two stage wins and the points classification, finishing it with great form.
"A really good Wout has already finished second here behind Pogačar. So I think Wout can come here with a lot of confidence. Especially after seeing how he rode uphill in the Vuelta."
A course like this is mainly guided towards the climbers, but if riders such as Van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel have their best form, they might play a factor in the fight for victory as Tadej Pogacar is not present.
Read also
Can Mathieu van der Poel play a role?
Asked about the Dutchman, Benoot did not provide a strong opinion, but knows he cannot underestimate van der Poel: “With Mathieu we will have to wait and see a little. “But we know what he can do.”
Paul Seixas, Benoot's teammate and a rider who has finished second on this Sunday's race, looked incredibly sharp on the Canadian ascent. He is set to be a real contender for the rainbow jersey.
“Paul has only just come back from altitude, so he will only get better. But the same goes for Remco,” Benoot argued. “And then Wout comes in from the Vuelta as well. It is going to be an interesting World Championships..."
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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- The factor of the no-Pogacar, is another point of note, no one wins with Pogacar around or it's close.. I think their should be a rule, if Pogacar's in a race then his results should be ignored
leedorney14-09-2026 - what a garbage takewrsty14-09-2026
- Pity Kuss couldn’t find back his past performance except for one or two good stages. Makes you wonder how he ever managed to win it even if you ignore the others on the podium were restrained.Jumpyjohn14-09-2026
- A bit of a whiner though. Attracts attention to himself and then complains people pay attention to him. You don’t usually achieve change by trying to force things through, and that’s when there’s more or less consensus it’s necessary or good. If you’re just doing it because it’s convenient for YOU or to go it alone against established ways, you’ve got no chance.Jumpyjohn14-09-2026
- Change the record.Cyclingsbestfan14-09-2026
- I'm sorry to see him go. We need people who shake things up or things never change. This reminds me of how the UCI treated Graeme Obree (google the name younngsters) back in the day.Cyclingsbestfan14-09-2026
- It is good news for cycling fans, but I doubt that the many peoples of the world that are put upon will even know about it.Cyclingsbestfan14-09-2026
- At least we saw a great race in Montreal, not like the boring Vuelta. Who cares if Mas or Roglič or Gall or anyone else won this boring race. I see comments on this site, after Pogi crashed, went down at least 25%. Pogi haters and other fools on this site won't admit it. While they celebrated Pogi's crash and saying the Vuelta was "exciting again," the reality is that the second and third weeks of the Vuelta attracted far fewer viewers. David Bavin-HobbsIn on PRO CYCLING: "A cycling world that has been dominated for years by Pogačar and UAE Emirates-XRG—and in a world where people talk about the sport being “boring,” “monotonous,” and “unexciting”—the Slovenian’s withdrawal provided a very enlightening insight. For although Pogacar had the Vuelta firmly in his grasp, far more people were watching when he was in the race versus after his departure. The statistics website Procyclingstats shared a rather bizarre graph showing the sharp drop in visitor numbers since Pogacar was forced to withdraw. In recent years, there had always been an increase in unique visitors during the first and second weeks of the Vuelta. However, Pogacar’s withdrawal resulted in a 15 percent drop."PogiSloFans14-09-2026
- Loved the kit Movistar put together, too, that has to be one of the best GT winning kits I’ve seen.anonymouscyclist14-09-2026
- Somehow Seixas went to sleep just as Del Toro launched his sprint. Seixas says he's still learning, and he won't make that mistake again. And Remco still beat Pidcock in the sprint for fifth after burning too many matches. Should be a great Worlds race indeed!Hills3314-09-2026
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