Tiesj Benoot set for Strade Bianche hunt: "My ambition is to win the race again"

Tiesj Benoot had a very difficult accident and set of injuries from last summer, but has soared back to racing on the Opening Weekend, taking an impressive win at Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne. He now sets his sights on Strade Bianche, a race which he won back in 2018.

"The days following a victory require you to focus on the goals for the upcoming weekend. Therefore there must be a balance between fun and focus, but I do my best to let it sink in well," Benoot said in a press release from Jumbo-Visma. "I also received numerous congratulations through text messages. There were so many that my girlfriend occasionally asked me to put the phone aside for a moment. But I prefer to receive congratulations after a victory over messages of support because you are in hospital."

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It was a very important moment for the Belgian, who only then took his first pro win in his home country. A puncheur and classics rider by specialty, Strade Bianche will suit him perfectly as he looks to carry on Jumbo-Visma's momentum. Despite not having many of it's leaders, including initially planned Wout van Aert, Benoot leads a strong team which also include last year's fourth placed Attila Valter.

"Strade Bianche is more of an individual race. Working as a team is difficult here. The best cyclists always compete in the final since the race is challenging. With Attila Valter, though, we have someone on the team who can also go a long way," he continues. "He came out of the O Gran Camino strong and finished fourth here last year. The other guys are also in good shape, so we definitely have possibilities."

However, his ambitions are high towards the Italian race. It will be a brutal one and he will face much of the competition he's seen during this weekend's cobbled classics, but he believes a victory is possible and that is ultimately the goal.

"My ambition is to win the race again, but a podium place would also be nice. As a former winner, it would be odd to claim that I only aim for a top-ten finish. I am at the start to give the best possible performance and shine in the final. It's a fair race. You always end up where you belong," Benoot concluded.