Teammate of Jonas Vingegaard within Visma-Lease a Bike, Tiesj Benoot is not very optimistic about the Dane’s chances of shining in the Tour de France.
The moment of truth is approaching for Jonas Vingegaard. Finally present at the start of the Tour de France, Saturday, two and a half months after his terrible fall in the Tour of the Basque Country, the Dane should quickly be determined about his state of form and his ability to compete with Tadej Pogacar, the great favorite to succeed him. This is at least the feeling of Tiesj Benoot, in the most total vagueness concerning the state of form of his leader or of Wout van Aert.
“I don’t dare predict their state of health. Neither did Wout and Jonas. Every athlete coming off an injury faces uncertainty. It is only after the first weekend that we will be able to estimate their level,” he confided in the columns of Het Laatste News. For the moment, optimism is clearly not in order for the former winner of Strade Bianche.
Vingegaard not even on the podium?
« I am one hundred percent sure that no one on the team would dare to bet money on Jonas getting on the podium,” he whispered, adding: “He has not raced since the Tour of the Basque Country and was hospitalized for two weeks. Even though he feels good in training, he and the team are in limbo. Let’s not forget the mental aspect either, Jonas doesn’t know how he will behave in the peloton. »
After ensuring that it was in no way a bluff, Tiesj Benoot put pressure on Tadej Pogacar and the UAE. “Matteo drives very well. He grew after the Dauphiné, but is it enough to follow Pogacar, and even more to beat him… Pogacar has already won the Giro while having fun. It is obvious that the UAE are the big favorites of the Tour,” he said, determined to keep a low profile.
