"Together with my family, we decided to start today" - Can birth of his second daughter inspire Tiesj Benoot to La Fleche Wallonne success?

After his impressive podium at the Amstel Gold Race last weekend, Tiesj Benoot will again lead Team Visma | Lease a Bike this Wednesday with hopes of challenging for victory again at La Fleche Wallonne.

"Last two years I improved my result here and I hope to that again today," previews Benoot, who finished 11th in 2022 and 7th in 2023 at La Fleche Wallonne, in a pre-race interview ahead of this year's edition. "We will see but the weather looks super hard today. This suits me normally though so I'm looking forward."

As mentioned, Benoot leads a somewhat depleted Team Visma | Lease a Bike this year, who remain optimistic despite their well-documented struggles with injury recently. "Last year was only the third time I had participated here," he recalls. "It's full gas at the end and all about position, that matters."

"For sure we'll some guys suffering in the cold. The rain is predicted so yeah, we'll see," Benoot concludes. "Normally I like that. Compared to the climbs I'm okay with it!"

Before the start, Benoot also had some special news to share, the birth of his second daughter, Loes. "Logically, today's race is an afterthought for me," he explains. "I am sure that I will be full of energy. Together with my family, we decided to start today. I am happy that I am here."