Sam Bennett (born 16 October 1990) is an Irish professional cyclist who rides for UCI WorldTeam Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale. He is a road sprinter who turned professional in 2011. He has won ten Grand Tour stages: three stages in the 2018 Giro d'Italia, two stages at the 2019 Vuelta a España, two stages at the 2020 Tour de France, where he also won the Points classification, one stage at the 2020 Vuelta a España, and two stages at the 2022 Vuelta a España.
 Bennett in 2019. | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Sam Bennett |
| Nickname | 'Sammy B' |
| Born | 16 October 1990 Wervik, Flanders, Belgium |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1] |
| Weight | 73 kg (161 lb; 11 st 7 lb)[1] |
| Team information | |
| Current team | Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale |
| Discipline | Road |
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | Sprinter |
| Amateur teams | |
| 2007–2010 | Vélo-Club La Pomme Marseille |
| 2009 | Carrick Wheelers Dan Morrissey |
| 2010 | Française des Jeux (stagiaire) |
| Professional teams | |
| 2011–2013 | An Post–Sean Kelly |
| 2014–2019 | NetApp–Endura |
| 2020–2021 | Deceuninck–Quick-Step[2][3] |
| 2022–2023 | Bora–Hansgrohe |
| 2024– | Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale |
| Major wins | |
Grand Tours
| |
Early life
editBennett was born in 1990 in Wervik, Flanders, Belgium, where his father Michael came in 1989 to play professional football for local club Eendracht Wervik. He moved with his parents to their native Ireland at the age of four, where he spent most of his early years growing up in Carrick-on-Suir, the hometown of fellow cyclist Sean Kelly.[4][5]
Career
editEarly career
editBennett was head-hunted by Vélo-Club La Pomme Marseille at 17, and joined them in the south of France, after completing his first year of third-level education at Waterford Institute of Technology (where he was embarking on an Honours Degree in Health and Exercise Studies). In 2009, Bennett rode, for the first time, the Rás Tailteann with the Carrick Wheelers Dan Morrissey squad. During the 2010 season, Bennett won the under-23 road race at the Irish National Cycling Championships in Sligo, aged 19.
An Post–Sean Kelly (2011–13)
editIn 2011, Bennett left France and joined Sean Kelly's An Post–Sean Kelly squad, under the tutelage of manager Kurt Bogaerts. He again won the under-23 road race at the Irish National Cycling Championships and also the Grote Prijs Stad Geel, a UCI 1.2 ranked one day race.
The following year he finished tenth in the under-23 road race at the UCI Road World Championships in Limburg, and seventh in the under-23 road race at the UEC European Road Championships.
In 2013 An Post–Chain Reaction moved up to Professional Continental level; Bennett won two stages in the Rás Tailteann – stage 3 into Listowel and stage 8 in Skerries – and stage 5 of the Tour of Britain, in which he also took two second places.
NetApp–Endura (2014–19)
edit2014 season
editHaving joined NetApp–Endura in 2014, Bennett took his first professional win at the UCI 1.1 ranked Clásica de Almería and won twice in Germany: the Rund um Köln and stage 5 of the 1.HC ranked Bayern–Rundfahrt into Nuremberg.
2015 season
editThe 2015 season began for Bennett at the Tour of Qatar, where he won the final stage, finishing in the Doha Corniche. Bennett won the first and third stages at the Bayern–Rundfahrt, allowing him to wear his first professional points classification jersey. Bennett was involved in a mass crash at the end of the Scheldeprijs.[6] Bennett began the Tour de France sick, having been diagnosed with a hernia on his diaphragm. He completed 16 stages of the race before abandoning. He returned to racing at the Arctic Race of Norway and won stage 2 into Setermoen; he finished 2nd in the points classification to Alexander Kristoff. Bennett took his final win of the season at Paris–Bourges in a sprint finish.
2016 season
editIn March 2016, Bennett won the first stage of the Critérium International in Corsica. Bennett's Tour de France effort was hindered by a crash that resulted in broken fingers on his right hand, but he continued to finish the race last in the general classification – the lanterne rouge – and finishing in the top 10 on the final stage in Paris. After recovering from his Tour injuries, Bennett went on to take a stage win at the Giro di Toscana, and won the points classification. The following month, he won his second consecutive Paris–Bourges.
2017 season
editOn 7 March 2017, Bennett won Stage 3 of the Paris–Nice.[7] Bennett went on to win 2 stages of the Tour of Slovenia in June, and won the points classification. At the Czech Cycling Tour, he again won two stages and the points classification jersey. In September, he won the Münsterland Giro in a photo-finish. In October, Bennett won four out of the six stages of the 2017 Tour of Turkey.[8]
2018 & 2019 seasons
editBennett started the season in the Tour Down Under, despite having an illness.[9] He also started in the Paris–Nice, but had to abandon midway through stage 3 due to sickness.[10] At the Volta a Catalunya, Bennett finished second on stage two. On 11 May 2018, he achieved his maiden Grand Tour stage victory, winning the seventh stage of the Giro d'Italia in Praia a Mare, in a sprint finish. He then added further stage victories on stage 12, finishing at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari motor racing circuit in Imola,[11] and the final stage into Rome.[12]
In August 2019, he was named in the startlist for the Vuelta a España, his first time competing in the Vuelta a España.[13] On 26 August, he won Stage 3.[14] He also won Stage 14, and finished in second place on four other stages; he finished third in the points classification behind overall contenders Primož Roglič and Tadej Pogačar.
Deceuninck–Quick-Step (2020–21)
editIn December 2019, Bennett signed a two-year contract with Belgian team Deceuninck–Quick-Step.[15]
2020 season
editHe was named in the team to compete in the Tour de France and narrowly finished in second place in a sprint finish on stage 3.[16] On stage 5, Bennett finished in third place and took the green jersey, becoming the first Irish rider to lead one of the classifications in the Tour since Sean Kelly won the same jersey in 1989. On stage 10, Bennett won his first stage in a sprint finish and also regained the green jersey from Peter Sagan, its seven-time winner.[17][18] Bennett became the sixth Irish cyclist to win a stage at the Tour de France, after Shay Elliott, Kelly, Stephen Roche, Martin Earley and Dan Martin, and the second, after Elliott, to win a stage in every Grand Tour.[19][20] On 20 September, Bennett won his second stage of the Tour, becoming only the fifth cyclist to win the final stage of the Tour de France while wearing the green jersey, and the second Irish (and the second from the small town of Carrick-on-Suir[21]) cyclist to win the Green Jersey (after Kelly, who won it 4 times, in 1982, 1983, 1985, and 1989).[22][23][24]
He won Stage 4 of the Vuelta a España.[25][26] On stage 9, he crossed the line first but was relegated for a 'shove' in the final kilometre, with the stage win being awarded to Germany's Pascal Ackermann.[27] In the final stage, he again lost out to Ackermann when he was narrowly beaten into 2nd place in the sprint, thus failing by the width of a wheel-rim to achieve a win on the last-day stage of each Grand Tour, after final-day stage wins in the 2018 Giro d'Italia and the 2020 Tour de France.[28][29]
2021 season
editBennett missed the 2021 Tour de France due to a knee injury.[30][31]
Bora–Hansgrohe
editIn August 2021, Bennett was announced to be rejoining Bora–Hansgrohe on a two-year contract, along with his teammate Shane Archbold.[32]
2022 season
editBennett was not part of the Bora–Hansgrohe team that took part in the Tour de France.[33]
In August Bennett won the second and third stages of the 2022 Vuelta a España in two sprint finishes. He became the second Irish rider to win at least 10 stages in Grand Tours after Sean Kelly.[34]
Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale (2024–present)
editIn November 2023, Bennett signed with the Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale team for 2024.[35]
2024 season
editIn May he won the Four Days of Dunkirk after winning four of the six stages of the race, it was the first general classification win of his professional career.[36]
Career achievements
editMajor results
edit- 2008
- 1st
Points race, UEC European Junior Track Championships - 1st
Road race, National Junior Road Championships - 1st Martin Donnelly Junior Tour[37]
- 2009
- 1st Alleins GP[38]
- 1st Stage 7 Rás Tailteann
- 5th Road race, National Under-23 Road Championships
- 2010
- 1st Road race, National Under-23 Road Championships
- 1st Stage 4 Rhône-Alpes Isère Tour
- 7th Grand Prix de Vougy
- 8th Dijon–Auxonne–Dijon
- 2011
- National Road Championships
- 1st Under-23 road race
- 5th Road race
- 1st
- 1st Grote Prijs Stad Geel
- 2012
- 3rd Ronde van Noord-Holland
- 7th Road race, UEC European Under-23 Road Championships
- 8th Grote Prijs Stad Zottegem
- 10th Road race, UCI Under-23 Road World Championships
- 2013 (1 pro win)
- 1st Overall Suir Valley 3 Day
- Rás Tailteann
- 1st Stages 3 & 8
- 1st Stage 5 Tour of Britain
- 4th Schaal Sels
- 4th Kernen Omloop Echt-Susteren
- 7th Dutch Food Valley Classic
- 10th Omloop van het Waasland
- 2014 (3)
- 1st Clásica de Almería
- 1st Rund um Köln
- Bayern–Rundfahrt
- 1st
Sprints classification - 1st Stage 5
- 1st
- 2nd ProRace Berlin
- 5th Scheldeprijs
- 6th RideLondon–Surrey Classic
- 2015 (5)
- 1st Paris–Bourges
- Bayern–Rundfahrt
- 1st Stages 1 & 3
- 1st Stage 6 Tour of Qatar
- 1st Stage 2 Arctic Race of Norway
- 2nd Velothon Berlin
- 4th Trofeo Playa de Palma
- 10th Trofeo Santanyi-SesSalines-Campos
- 2016 (3)
- 1st Paris–Bourges
- 1st Stage 1 Critérium International
- 2nd Trofeo Felanitx-Ses Salines-Campos-Porreres
- 3rd Eschborn–Frankfurt – Rund um den Finanzplatz
- 4th Trofeo Playa de Palma
- 5th Overall Giro di Toscana
- 1st Points classification
- 1st Stage 2
- 7th Overall Tour of Qatar
- 8th Grand Prix de Fourmies
- 2017 (10)
- 1st Münsterland Giro
- Tour of Turkey
- 1st Stages 1, 2, 3 & 5
- Tour of Slovenia
- 1st
Points classification - 1st Stages 1 & 4
- 1st
- Czech Cycling Tour
- 1st
Points classification - 1st Stages 2 & 4
- 1st
- 1st Stage 3 Paris–Nice
- 2nd Down Under Classic
- 8th London–Surrey Classic
- 10th Grand Prix of Aargau Canton
- 2018 (7)
- 1st Rund um Köln
- Giro d'Italia
- 1st Stages 7, 12 & 21
- Tour of Turkey
- 1st Points classification
- 1st Stages 2, 3 & 6
- 1st
- 7th Eschborn–Frankfurt
- 2019 (13)
- 1st Road race, National Road Championships
- BinckBank Tour
- 1st Points classification
- 1st Stages 1, 2 & 3
- 1st
- Tour of Turkey
- 1st Points classification
- 1st Stages 1 & 2
- 1st
- Vuelta a España
- 1st Stages 3 & 14
- Held after Stages 4–6
- Paris–Nice
- 1st Stages 3 & 6
- 1st Stage 3 Critérium du Dauphiné
- 1st Stage 7 UAE Tour
- 1st Stage 7 Vuelta a San Juan
- 2nd London–Surrey Classic
- 6th Road race, UEC European Road Championships
- 10th Rund um Köln
- 2020 (7)
- 1st Race Torquay
- Tour de France
- 1st Points classification
- 1st Stages 10 & 21
- 1st
- 1st Stage 4 Vuelta a España
- 1st Stage 1 Tour Down Under
- 1st Stage 3 Tour de Wallonie
- 1st Stage 4 Vuelta a Burgos
- 8th Scheldeprijs
- 2021 (7)
- 1st Classic Brugge–De Panne
- Paris–Nice
- 1st Stages 1 & 5
- UAE Tour
- 1st Stages 4 & 6
- Volta ao Algarve
- 1st Points classification
- 1st Stages 1 & 3
- 1st
- 2nd Scheldeprijs
- 2022 (3)
- 1st Eschborn–Frankfurt
- Vuelta a España
- 1st Stages 2 & 3
- Held after Stages 2–7
- 3rd Paris–Tours
- 5th Road race, UEC European Road Championships
- 5th Münsterland Giro
- 5th Rund um Köln
- 5th Ronde van Limburg
- 2023 (3)
- Sibiu Cycling Tour
- 1st Points classification
- 1st Stage 1 & 4a
- 1st
- 1st Stage 1 Vuelta a San Juan
- 3rd Road race, National Road Championships
- 2024 (5)
- 1st
Overall Four Days of Dunkirk
- 1st Points classification
- 1st Stages 2, 3, 5 & 6
- 1st
- 8th Overall Région Pays de la Loire Tour
- 9th Overall Tour de la Provence
Grand Tour general classification results timeline
edit| Grand Tour | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Giro d'Italia
|
— | — | 158 | 112 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
 Tour de France
|
DNF | 174 | — | — | — | 138 | — | — | — | DNF |
 Vuelta a España
|
— | — | — | — | 134 | 137 | — | DNF | — | — |
Classics results timeline
edit| Monument | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milan–San Remo | — | 78 | 129 | 66 | — | 28 | 60 | 42 | — | DNF | — |
| Tour of Flanders | DNF | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Paris–Roubaix | 134 | — | OTL | — | — | — | NH | — | — | — | — |
| Liège–Bastogne–Liège | Has not contested during his career | ||||||||||
| Giro di Lombardia | |||||||||||
| Classic | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne | — | 19 | DNF | 24 | DNF | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Brugge–De Panne | Previously a stage race | — | — | — | 1 | 17 | DNF | — | |||
| Gent–Wevelgem | 12 | DNF | — | 17 | — | — | DNF | 55 | 106 | DNF | DNF |
| Scheldeprijs | 5 | DNF | 12 | — | — | — | 8 | 2 | 13 | — | — |
| Eschborn–Frankfurt | — | NH | 3 | 22 | 7 | — | NH | — | 1 | 69 | DNF |
| Hamburg Cyclassics | — | 113 | 130 | 11 | — | — | NH | — | DNF | ||
| Münsterland Giro | — | 11 | — | 1 | 11 | — | — | — | 5 | — | |
| Paris–Tours | — | 100 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | |
| — | Did not compete |
|---|---|
| DNF | Did not finish |
| IP | In progress |
| NH | Not held |
References
edit- ^ a b "BORA – hansgrohe". Retrieved 15 July 2019.
- ^ Ryan, Barry (31 December 2019). "2020 Team Preview: Deceuninck-QuickStep". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
- ^ "Deceuninck - Quick-Step". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- ^ Tracey, Cian (8 October 2014). "I almost gave up on my pro cycling dream – Bennett". independent.ie. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
- ^ Kelly, Cillian (28 January 2015). "Bennett aims to start with a bang at Qatar and Oman". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
- ^ "Scheldeprijs finale marred by mass crash".
- ^ "Ireland's Sam Bennett secures biggest win of his career in France". Irish Independent. 7 March 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
- ^ "2017 Tour of Turkey". Cycling News. 15 October 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
- ^ "Sam Bennett struck down with before Tour Down Under". Cyclingnews.com. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ "Ireland's Sam Bennett abandons Paris-Nice on stage 3". 6 March 2018.
- ^ "'I just went for it' – Sam Bennett on becoming the first Irishman in 30 years to win two Grand Tour stages". The 42. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- ^ "Ireland's Sam Bennett wins final stage of Giro d'Italia in thrilling sprint finish". The 42. 27 May 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
- ^ "2019: 74th La Vuelta ciclista a España". ProCyclingStats. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ "Double Irish celebration at Vuelta as Sam Bennett wins Stage 3 while Nicolas Roche keeps leader's jersey". Irish Independent. 26 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ "Bennett describes QuickStep move as a 'dream come true'". The 42. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
- ^ "Bennett agonisingly beaten on the line again as wait for Tour de France win goes on". The 42. 1 September 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ Benson, Daniel (3 September 2020). "Sean Kelly: Sam Bennett deserves Tour de France green jersey after hard times". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Ireland's Sam Bennett wins Stage 10 to regain Tour de France green jersey". The 42. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ "Tour de France: Sam Bennett wins stage 10 as Primoz Roglic keeps yellow jersey". Guardian. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ "Sam Bennett wins stage 10 of Tour de France". RTE Sport. 8 September 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ "Sean Kelly: Sam Bennett delivered on the potential he always had with Tour de France green jersey". RTE. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
It's an incredible achievement for the town of Carrick-on-Suir, with a population of under 6,000 at the last census, to produce two green jersey winners some 31 years apart.
- ^ O'Riordan, Ian. "'I never thought I'd be good enough' – Sam Bennett clinches Tour de France green jersey". The Irish Times. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
- ^ "Sam Bennett takes final stage and wins Ireland's 1st Tour de France green jersey in 31 years". The 42. 20 September 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
- ^ "'It's amazing' – Bennett seals green jersey by sprinting to final stage victory". RTE Sport. 20 September 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
- ^ Puddicombe, Stephen (23 October 2020). "Vuelta a España: Sam Bennett wins stage 4". CyclingNews. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ "Super Sam Bennett makes it back-to-back Vuelta stage wins for the Irish". The 42. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
- ^ Tom Owen (29 October 2020). "LA VUELTA 2020 – SAM BENNETT RELEGATED FROM STAGE WIN AFTER 'SHOVE' IN THE FINAL KILOMETRE". Eurosport. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ Jonny Long (8 November 2020). "Pascal Ackermann pips Sam Bennett in stage 18 sprint as Roglič seals Vuelta a España". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ "Vuelta a España – Stage 18 Highlights – Cycling – Eurosport". YouTube. 8 November 2020. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
Just a wheelrim involved between the pair of then, Sam Bennett not quite coming to get that hat-trick he'd been searching for of last day wins on all the Grand Tours.
- ^ "Sam Bennett ruled out of Tour de France with knee injury". RTE Sport. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
- ^ "Sam Bennett's exit from Tour de France sparks tension in his team". Irish Times. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
- ^ "Sam Bennett returns to Bora-Hansgrohe on two-year contract". VeloNews. Outside. 3 August 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ "Ireland's Sam Bennett misses out on Tour de France spot again". The 42. 28 June 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ "Sam Bennett clinches second successive victory at Vuelta a Espana". Irish Independent. 21 August 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- ^ "Sam Bennett and Victor Lafay sign for revamped Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale team". Cyclingnews.com. 27 November 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
- ^ "Sam Bennett wins final stage to seal overall victory in Four Days of Dunkirk". RTE Sport. 19 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
- ^ "Bennett secures Junior Tour title". Irish Independent. 14 July 2008.
- ^ "BENNETT TAKES VICTORY IN FRANCE". Irish Cycling. 3 August 2009. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011.
External links
edit
- Sam Bennett at UCI
- Sam Bennett at Cycling Archives (archived)
- Sam Bennett at ProCyclingStats
- Sam Bennett at CQ Ranking
- Sam Bennett at CycleBase
- Irish Cycling Q&A
- VC la Pomme
