Tiesj Benoot will leave Visma | Lease a Bike at the end of the season to join Decathlon CMA CGM on a three-year deal starting in 2026. The Belgian, winner of Strade Bianche in 2018, will add proven depth to the French team across both the classics and the Grand Tours.
The 31-year-old has four professional wins to his name. His breakthrough came with Lotto-Soudal at Strade Bianche, where he attacked solo in brutal conditions to claim one of the most memorable editions of the race. In 2019 he added a stage of the Tour of Denmark before moving to Team Sunweb, where he won stage six of Paris-Nice the following season. His most recent success came with Jumbo-Visma at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne in 2023, underlining his ability to read and finish off aggressive one-day races.
Since turning professional with Lotto Belisol in 2014, Benoot has raced for Lotto-Soudal, Team Sunweb and DSM before moving to Jumbo-Visma in 2022, now Visma | Lease a Bike. His time with the Dutch squad saw him play an important part in their Tour de France victories, while remaining a threat in his own right during the spring.
Benoot said he was motivated by the ambition of the Decathlon CMA CGM project. “I am very happy to be joining Decathlon CMA CGM in 2026. It’s a new chapter in my career, within an ambitious team where I can continue to progress. The ambition of the project and the trust placed in me motivate me enormously to achieve great results and to play an important role in the classics and in serving the team.”
Team manager Sébastien Joly called the Belgian “a very experienced rider with great physical potential,” adding that he would bring leadership in the classics and be an important support rider in stage races. “We are delighted to have a rider of this calibre joining us. We look forward to welcoming him and starting to work with him.”
The move signals another step in Decathlon CMA CGM’s development at WorldTour level, as they continue to strengthen their roster with riders capable of delivering results across the season.
