Benoot shares stories about his most remarkable (former) teammates: "I need to be careful what I say…"

Known for his experience and tactical insight, Benoot has built a reputation as an exceptionally intelligent rider who is incredibly valuable to his team. But when the topic turns to clever athletes, he names a few who stand out even more. “There are definitely two who rise above the rest: Michael Storer, my former teammate at Sunweb, and, though I don’t want to give him too much credit, Victor Campenaerts,” he laughs.

“Storer is a unique Australian with an Italian girlfriend,” Benoot explains. “He started reading Italian books fairly quickly. Not easy, reading in another language. He’s also vegan or at least that’s a flexible concept. Our team chef once made wraps with salmon, and Michael immediately took one. ‘Wait, aren’t you vegan?’ we asked. ‘Yeah, that’s right, but I like salmon.’ We all burst out laughing, of course.”

Campenaerts was Benoot’s teammate at Lotto Soudal in 2018 and 2019, and as of this year, they’re riding together again in the yellow colors of the Killer Bees. The two get along well. “I have to be careful what I say, because we’re currently roommates here in Sierra Nevada. Otherwise, he might start getting a big head,” laughs Benoot, who greatly appreciates how unique "Vocsnor" (a nickname for Campenaerts) is. “Victor is anything but mainstream, he can really think outside the box. Put him in a room with a few specialists on a certain topic and chances are he’ll talk circles around them.”

His Belgian teammate is also often up for a joke, and knows how to keep a gag going. “I once said, just once, that I admire his reckless and slightly dumb way of racing. ‘Dumb’ as a compliment, I mean. The gift, let’s say, of being able to just let go and fully commit. That mindset has actually earned him quite a bit. I think he’s told about a hundred people I said that to him. It’s turning into a running joke.”

Here’s a new Campenaerts story: he attended Benoot’s 30th birthday party. “Victor suddenly asked if he could sing a song. That was fine. The bar was set high though, because Helmut Lotti (a famous Belgian singer, ed.) had performed a few hours earlier. Anyway, Victor grabs the mic and starts going. ‘Het is een Nacht’ by Guus Meeuwis, ‘Under the Bridge’ by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, he just kept going. Okay, it was half playback, but the performance was still impressive. On a big gear, as we say. Everyone was in tears from laughing.”