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.
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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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
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🇮🇹 #StradeBiache 𝔾𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕝 𝕣𝕠𝕒𝕕𝕤 -> here we come! This is our line-up for Strade Bianche. 👥
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