"We need to find a good moment in the race to anticipate" - Visma and Benoot don't want to settle behind Pogacar and Evenepoel at Liège

Team Visma | Lease a Bike are starting Liège-Bastogne-Liège without the likes of Wout van Aert, Matteo Jorgenson or Jonas Vingegaard and so the team will be a secondary card in a wide array of strong teams present. Tiesj Benoot will be the team's main card to chase a result, and the Dutch team will try to anticipate the main attacks

“We line up on Sunday with a mix of young talents and experienced riders. It’s great for the young riders in the team to race a monument like Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Additionally, we’re aiming for the best possible result with [Tiesj] Benoot, [Ben] Tulett, and [Attila] Valter," team DS Frans Maassen said ahead of the monument.

At Flèche Wallonne Benoot was the team's strongest, finishing 12th on the Mur de Huy. “Wednesday was an extremely tough race with a lot of rain and cold. I look back on this race with a good feeling, and it seems that our riders have recovered well from it.”

The team starts with a group of outsiders who will try to surprise, including Ben Tulett and Attila Valter who each get their own opportunities to hunt results in the spring. Benoot however is the headliner: “In the Flèche Wallonne, I was involved in a crash. Luckily, I was still able to play a role in the finale. I hope the crash won't have too much of an impact on Liège-Bastogne-Liège, so I can also play a role in the finale there.”

“I've been feeling much better in the last few races. There’s clearly been an upward trend, and I hope I can continue this towards Sunday in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, so I can close my spring campaign on a positive note.” Benoot is already a three-time Top10 finisher at the fourth monument of the season, and his consistent run of form seems promising for another quality result.

"The approach to the finale has become even harder. Looking at the Amstel Gold Race and the Flèche Wallonne, I expect a real battle of exhaustion," he believes. "I expect UAE Team Emirates, XRG, and Soudal Quick-Step to make it a very tough race. As a team, we need to find a good moment in the race to anticipate. However, that won’t be easy at all. There will be a lot of control in the peloton, and on top of that, it’s also a very tough race.”