Tiesj Benoot confesses that he had 'nothing left to sprint' against Mathieu van der Poel at Dwars door Vlaanderen
The Belgian sat up before the line to give Van der Poel the win

Tiesj Benoot has admitted that he was out of energy in the finale of Dwars door Vlaanderen and therefore unable to sprint against eventual winner Mathieu van der Poel.
The Jumbo-Visma rider got away with Van der Poel inside the final two kilometres, the duo attacking the leading group of eight as they approached the finishing line in Waregem.
But Benoot, who only joined his team this winter after two seasons at Team DSM, sat up in the final hundred metres, paving the way for Alpecin-Fenix's Van der Poel to win the race for the second time in three editions.
"When I attacked I didn't immediately see someone sitting on my wheel," Benoot said afterwards.
"But a little later I saw Mathieu riding close to it very easily. I continued riding to go for a place on the podium.
"In the sprint there was nothing left, but I am of course happy that I was able to show myself."
Benoot finished ninth at the recent E3 Saxo Bank Classic, but Wednesday's result was his best ever in a cobbled Classic, surpassing the fifth place he earned at the 2015 Tour of Flanders.
Dwars was a highly active race that sprung into life two hours before the racing ended, with Benoot admitting that he didn't anticipate the racing to be full-on so far out.
"I rode a good race and I grabbed my chance," he said. "When Alpecin-Fenix started at 90km from the end, I was a bit surprised, but after that I was always in good shape."
Fellow escapee Victor Campenaerts of Lotto-Soudal tried his luck several times, at one point building an advantage of around six seconds.
Benoot reflected: "When Victor went I knew I had to go and he repeated that a few times.
"Fortunately I was strong enough to close the break together with the other escapees. I did everything I could to go alone, but unfortunately it didn't work out. Nevertheless, this result is good for confidence.”
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Chris first started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2013 on work experience and has since become a regular name in the magazine and on the website. Reporting from races, long interviews with riders from the peloton and riding features drive his love of writing about all things two wheels.
Probably a bit too obsessed with mountains, he was previously found playing and guiding in the Canadian Rockies, and now mostly lives in the Val d’Aran in the Spanish Pyrenees where he’s a ski instructor in the winter and cycling guide in the summer. He almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains.
-
-
Is this Ineos Grenadiers' Tour de France team? Geraint Thomas teases with eight-man training squad photo
It would not be a surprise to see the same faces in Copenhagen
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Vincenzo Nibali rolls back the years with shark attack on stage 16 of the Giro d'Italia
37-year-old up to fifth on general classification with five stages left
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Five talking points from stage seven of the Giro d'Italia 2022
What we learned from the hardest day of the race so far
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Jumbo-Visma bounce back from Etna disappointment on the road to Potenza at Giro d'Italia
Tom Dumoulin and Koen Bouwman deliver Dutch victory on stage seven
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Fan makes Sam Oomen crash post-Giro d'Italia stage five
Jumbo-Visma haven't exactly had the best luck over the opening five days
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Tom Dumoulin and Jumbo-Visma left licking wounds after first Giro d'Italia mountain test
Dutchman and teammates tumble down general classification
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Wout van Aert says he's racing Paris-Roubaix so he is not 'missing out on everything'
Jumbo-Visma rider explains that he will be a "little less good" on Sunday
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Wout van Aert to ride Paris-Roubaix, but in a supporting role
Jumbo-Visma rider makes his return from his Covid-enforced absence
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'If I can have another day, start another race, I'm grateful for that': Coryn Labecki on racing with Marianne Vos, her family’s COVID tragedy, and her new outlook on life
We sat down with former Flanders winner, Coryn Labecki, to talk about finding her place in the Jumbo-Visma squad, her new outlook on life, racing with the GOAT — Marianne Vos
By Anne-Marije Rook • Published
-
Wout van Aert 'unlikely' to race Tour of Flanders, Jumbo-Visma says
Belgian champion was outstanding favourite for Sunday's race
By Adam Becket • Published