Sam Bennett is today set to start his last race before the Tour de France when he gets underway at the five-stage Baloise Belgium Tour (2.Pro). The Irish rider already has one win notched up in 2022 - at Eschborn Frankfurt in Germany six weeks ago - and will be looking for more as he builds towards his biggest goal of the season in France.
While the opening stage of the race looks too hilly for the sprinters, they are small climbs that Bennett could deal with if in top form. The more likely chances for the sprinters are on tomorrow's stage 2 and Sunday's final stage.
Bennett will this week face some of the sprinters he will battle with at the Tour, including the in-form Fabio Jakobsen (QuickStep-Alpha Vinyl) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin Fenix). Jakobsen has nine wins already this season, including Elfstedenronde Brugge (1.1) last Sunday. Philipsen's season has been slightly more subdued so far, with three wins to date, the last at the Tour of Turkey over two months ago.
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Also in the filed this week - though not expected to ride the Tour de France - is Arnaud De Lie, the Lotto Soudal rider who has just turned 20-years-old and has already won six races in what is his first season at World Tour level.
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Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) is also in the field and can take sprint wins, while Giro d'Italia stage winner Alberto Dainese (Team DSM) is also among the fancied fast men who will be looking to take a win this week.
Bennett has his full Bora-hansgrohe lead-out train available; Irish champion Ryan Mullen, Danny van Poppel and Shane Archbald. Young Belgian rider Jordi Meeus, who pushed Wout van Aert (Jumbo Visma) close for stage 5 victory at Critérium du Dauphiné, is also in the line-up. The team is completed by Jonas Koch and 19-year-old German neo pro Luis-Joe Lührs.
While Jakobsen, Philipsen and De Lie can all win stages, QuickStep-Alpha Vinyl looks like the team to beat in the sprints. Jakobsen has the Michael Mørkøv lead-out and with Remco Evenepoel missing from the line-up, aiming for stage wins will be the main goal for the team this week.
However, De Lie is the fastest emerging sprinter at present in pro cycling and he will be absolutely gunning for another win. Bennett has been building up his condition slowly since missing half of last year due to injury. While he took seven wins before he was sidelined last May, the period he then missed has set him back, though he has always said the Tour is his main goal.
