When the UCI World Tour series resumes Saturday at Strade Bianche, Sunweb's Tiesj Bennotto is hoping he may be able to repeat his 2018 victory in the Italian one-day race.

The 26-year-old Bergen, who won the 2018 Strade Bianche in wet and muddy conditions, recognizes that this year's race (changed from the usual March event to a Saturday, August 1) will likely be hotter, drier, and dustier.

"Strade Bianche is the race that best suits me at this level. [In 2016 and 2017 I was 8th, in 2018 I won, and last year I was 5th. [But] it will be held differently than in March. The temperatures are completely different, which adds an extra dimension."

Benoot won the final stage and finished second overall in his first race since Paris-Nice in mid-March.

"I've been training well and I think I'm in good shape. The numbers point in the right direction.

"You can't really estimate your potential," Benoot said of Saturday's race. I haven't seen what the other riders have been doing for a long time." It feels like we're back to 'opening weekend' again. It's exciting."

"I'd love to get on the podium," Benoot said. Everything needs to go right for a good result, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't ready." I have a good team and I really want to race. I feel good, but I don't expect anything."

Benoot - like his colleagues - is looking forward to the race resuming, but he is under no illusions that if a true second wave of COVID-19 occurs in Europe, the rest of the season may not yet go completely according to plan.

"Of course it would be frustrating to stop again, but I try not to think about it," Benoot said.

"In the past week I heard that things are getting worse again in Europe. You can never predict what will happen. The season could be over again very soon.

"Professional riders are no match for such a situation. The society would also not be convinced if the race continued during the second crisis," Benoot added.