Tiesj Benoot calls on his experience with Wout Van Aert to help protect Seixas at the Tour de France
CyclingMonday, 13 July 2026 at 13:02
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Follow us on GoogleTiesj Benoot has had a fantastic first week of the Tour de France. The 32-year-old Belgian may not have caught the general public’s attention just yet. But he plays a key role at Decathlon CMA CGM in supporting French general classification hopeful Paul Seixas. Thanks to Visma | Lease a Bike and Wout van Aert, Benoot is able to make a difference for the 19-year-old team leader.
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Last winter, Benoot moved from Visma | Lease a Bike to Decathlon CMA CGM, which was undoubtedly one of the most notable transfers of the year. The Belgian seemed to be doing well with his Dutch team, but was ready for a new chapter in his career. The French team made him an attractive offer, both in terms of racing opportunities and compensation.
Unfortunately for Benoot, his new adventure began with a 16-week absence from competition. A herniated disc meant he didn’t make his debut until mid-June at the Tour de Suisse. There, however, he assured us that he had been training hard and well for quite some time, with the Tour de France in mind.
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Tiesj Benoot
Tiesj Benoot on Wout van Aert's role for Seixas in the Tour de France
You've been racing in the Tour de France for a week now, with the up-and-coming powerhouse Decathlon CMA CGM. Have you noticed any differences between this team and Visma | Lease a Bike from previous years?
"The biggest difference is definitely experience. When I joined the Visma team, Jonas Vingegaard had just finished second in the Tour the year before. In 2022, he won—he figured it all out on his own, with the help of experienced riders like Wout van Aert. Here, I’m sharing a bit more of my own experience; there are four of us here riding our first Tour. It’s going well.”
Have there been any specific situations during this Tour where you had to teach Paul Seixas something?
"In those first few days, with the heat, it was all about staying cool and staying hydrated. That sounds obvious, but when you're in the heat of the race, it's easy to skip a water bottle once in a while. Even if you still have water left, it’s important to make an effort to reach for that water bottle—to keep yourself cool. Paul is discovering more about what the Tour is every day; in that regard, we’ve seen it all now.”
The face mask he's suddenly been wearing while walking around the mixed zone starting today—was that your idea?
"I think that was advice from others; in any case, I didn't say that to him myself. But with all those people watching and the enormous interest in him, it's not a bad idea."
You came into the Tour de France without much racing rhythm; how are you feeling during this first week?
"Very good. I think, in terms of fitness, this might actually be my best Tour de France yet. I've been able to do everything I wanted to do, which makes it fun. Let's hope it continues this way."
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- No teammates on the Tourmalet. Too fast up the Tourmalet.
merganzer10-07-2026 - Reef is whistling past the graveyard by denying what was plain to see: Tadej crushed Jonas, beating him in the ascent and, even more decisively on the descent, where most of the gap was created. In the world of reality, rather than the fantsay that Reef related, Jonas will not become a better descender between now and Paris, and Tadej won't get less adept at the skill. Moreover, it wasn't only about the mano y mono, between the two Tour leaders, but the unraveling of Visma, and the dominance of UAE, especially IDT. Barring injury or some other anomalous occurrence, we'll look back at Tadej's win on stage six as the day he won the 2026 TDF.rjb10-07-2026
- Remco continues alternating between Dr. Jekyl and, as he did today post-race, Mr. Hyde, lashing out as others for not racing according to his preferences. This isn't the first time he's complained about opponents' tactics, but it's the first time I've heard him do it to a teammate, and that lack of discretion and team loyalty may come back to haunt him. I though he'd outgrown these childish pouts; obviously, I was mistaken.rjb10-07-2026
- - How many times has Pog actually worn yellow now? The article hints he’s lost count—anyone got the exact stat?robert6506-07-2026
- - Unreal start to the Tour: two punches in three days. If he’s taking yellow this early, the real game is load management before the first true summit finish.davidm06-07-2026
- - Grandissimo Tadej! Maillot jaune meritato, squadra perfetta oggi.sprocketspiny06-07-2026
- - Not sure I buy the “nothing really tough” description. 3,850m of climbing in that heat is brutal, even if the gradients aren’t HC. Felt a bit dismissive.cadencekingm06-07-2026
- - Pogacar’s humour about the gels was gold. Also, nice to see him credit Del Toro. That Barcelona gesture coming back today was a proper team arc.michael5406-07-2026
- - Quick question: when they say “break got a free pass” by Visma, does that mean Visma just stopped chasing completely? Or is it more like they eased but still controlled the gap?velodromevirtuoso106-07-2026
- - Sorry, but the piece glosses over how Vermeersch shredded the gap. That was the hinge of the stage. Give him more credit than a single line.raceready706-07-2026
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