Belgium might have found a new top-notch rider. During Sunday's queen stage of the Tour de France, Tiesj Benoot (Lotto Soudal) showed off his great climbing qualities in the breakaway group. Still only 23-years-old, he managed to emerge as one of the best climbers in the large breakaway. On the hors categorie climbs, Benoot was more or less on the same level as respected uphill specialists Warren Barguil (Sunweb) and Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo).
"It was an extremely hard stage. I’ve never pumped out these power values, especially after nine days. It's the first time in my career that I'm racing for nine days in a row. And then they scheduled such an enormous stage, it's nearly tougher than a classic. It was really hard. The level is really high. Then again, you know that when you're racing here, it doesn't get any harder than this," Benoot said, laughing.
Benoot seems to have a great cycling career ahead of him, one which he combines with university studies in Applied Economics. He should earn his degree in January. “Then I'll try to get a master's degree in two years," he added.
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It was not a secret that Benoot was a massively talented rider, but after placing fifth at the 2015 Tour of Flanders, he was expected by many in Belgium to be another young Classics specialist. He had already shone at the mountainous Ronde de l'Isard as an amateur in 2014, however, helping Louis Vervaeke to overall victory, and he is now confirming as a professional that he is capable of much more than cresting the bergs and cobbles of the one-days races in Flanders.
At the Critérium du Dauphiné, Benoot showed off his climbing skills to finish 12th overall, and he is following that up on the Tour. On stage 9, Benoot and Barguil were the only survivors from the large early break on the Mont du Chat. After Benoot was distanced by Barguil on the final climb, he was caught by the group of yellow jersey Chris Froome (Sky).
"I hope it wasn't the last time I ride among the GC guys on a big climb," said Benoot, who was unable to follow Froome et al near the summit and eventually had to settle for 12th place in Chambéry, in a group that came in 3:32 down on the leaders.
The future
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