Ireland's Sam Bennett leads Marcel Kittel in a recent post-Tour de France criterium. The pair will meet again in Norway over the next four days (Photo: Martine Verfaillie)
Having returned to the big stage at the RideLondon-Surrey Classic in the UK on Sunday after a less hectic section of the season in July, Ireland’s Sam Bennett will get to test himself against the best sprinters in the world in Norway in coming days.
In the four-day Arctic Race of Norway, the NetApp Endura rider will do battle with Tour de France stage winners Marcel Kittel (Giant Shimano) and Alexander Kristoff (Katusha); not to mention former world champion and Tour de France green jersey winner Thor Hushovd (BMC), who won the race last year.
There are bonus seconds on offer at the finishes, meaning if a number of the stages finished in sprints and Bennett could last in the front group over the climbs of stage 3 when the other fast men lose time, the opportunity to chase the leader’s jersey may present itself.
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The fact Hushovd won the race last year underlines the fact that a rider like Bennett, who can climb much better than most sprinters, has the potential to do very well if blessed with a bit of luck. However, Kristoff is also a man for such stages.
The race begins tomorrow, Thursday, and finishes on Sunday.
The ever-popular Thor Hushovd put the power down last year for stage and overall victory in his home country; what can Bennett do this time around?
The opening and closing stages may end in bunch finishes. And judging by the stage profiles, stage 2 is definitely one for the sprinters unless a breakaway outsmarts the peloton. On Saturday, the riders face a tough test on stage 3, with a summit finish.
Bennett has taken advantage of his down time of late to get himself into great condition for the remainder of the season.
He has gone well in the latter months of previous campaigns, taking a stage win and two podium finishes on the Tour of Britain last September. He also grabbed 9th place in the U23 race at the World Road Race Championships at the end of the 2012 season.
Last Sunday in England he rode very well; getting himself into the winning escape only to puncture out of it.
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And while he got back on, a combination of the effort required to do so and the relentless attacking of Philippe Gilbert (BMC) in the escape saw him stranded the wrong side of the split when the 11-man move fractured.
He finished the day in a decent 6th place, but told stickybottle ahead of the Norwegian UCI 2.1 outing that he definitely wants more results before the season is out. He has already won four races this year.
“The form isn't bad but it’s hard rolly roads and windy and cold here,” he told stickybottle from his team hotel.
“I’d like to get a stage here but there are strong guys like Kittel and Kristoff in the field. I was missing the race legs on Sunday but I’m hoping to have them again this week; I need to get more results.”
The first stage in Norway tomorrow covers 204 kilometres, featuring three sprints and three categorised climbs on the road to the finish at the North Cape; one of the northernmost points in mainland Europe.
The second stage is 207km and is the longest of the race; starting in Honningsvåg and finishing in Alta, where the Saturday's stage 3 starts. It is the queen stage of the race featuring a summit finish at Kvænangsfjelle.
The final day, on Sunday, sees the riders tackle five finishing circuits with a steep climb each time, which may suit Bennett better than the other sprinters in the field.
After Norway, another big goal for the Irishman in the weeks ahead is the Tour of Britain. It will run from September 7th to 14th and features no fewer than eight WorldTour teams this year.
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