“We received a lot of criticism for our tactics - it’s seen as stupid”: Departing Tiesj Benoot reflects on final unsuccessful Tour de France campaigns at Visma

Tiesj Benoot has pushed back against criticism of Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s Tour de France tactics in recent seasons, insisting the team’s much debated approach was misunderstood despite ultimately falling short against Tadej Pogacar and UAE Team Emirates - XRG in the quest for the Maillot Jaune.

“We received a lot of criticism for our tactics, but we tried every single day,” Benoot reflected in a farewell video on Visma's channels. “Pogacar and UAE ultimately didn’t make any mistakes, even though we tried to force them into doing so. If it had paid off, people would have called it brilliant. Now it’s seen as stupid, which I still don’t agree with.”

The Belgian, who has left Visma this winter to join Decathlon CMA CGM Team, was part of the squad that repeatedly attempted to unseat Pogacar in the 2024 and 2025 Tours.

While neither campaign delivered overall success, Benoot maintains there was logic behind the decisions made on the road.

According to Benoot, one of Visma’s defining strengths was its collective buy in to a shared plan, something he believes remains undervalued across the peloton. “We always make a plan that everyone fully supports, which in my opinion is still underestimated in many teams,” he explained.

That approach was already evident early in his time with the Dutch squad. Benoot recalled the 2022 Tour de France, where individual success was secondary to wider objectives.

“When Wout won the stage to Calais after perfect teamwork, we didn’t celebrate it in the way I was used to,” he said. “You could really feel that we were aiming for more in that Tour: more stage wins, yellow and green.”

Benoot also highlighted the team’s internal culture as a key factor behind its sustained competitiveness. “Many teams, and companies too, could learn something from our feedback culture,” he added. “It’s also something very Dutch, I think. But that open communication really is the foundation of it.”

Despite the disappointment of the final Tours, Benoot leaves Team Visma | Lease a Bike with strong memories and no sense of unfinished business.

“What I’ll miss most are the friendships,” he said. “But we’ll keep seeing each other. I hope to keep racing at a good level for a few more years.”

For Benoot, the results may not always have matched the ambition, but the belief in how Visma raced remains unchanged.