How do Sam Bennett's Grand Tour wins compare to other greats of Irish cycling?

Sam Bennett has scored two stage victories at La Vuelta 2022, which takes his career Grand Tour stage win tally to an impressive double figures. Bennett's career total of 10 now accounts for one fifth of the 50 stages won by Irish cyclists in the history of the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España.

Bennett is still aged just 31 years and having regained his form in style in recent days, he can hopefully look forward to many more stage wins on Grand Tours, having missed last year's races due to injury. He also missed this year's Tour when Bora-hansgrohe opted for a general classification line-up.

However, while Bennett has some time on his side, he has his work cut out to equal Sean Kelly, who has 21 Grand Tour stage victories in his palmares. Kelly also won the points classification four times at both the Tour and La Vuelta while also winning the Vuelta overall in 1988.

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Bennett is now next, after Kelly on the Irish all-time list of Grand Tour stage winners, which numbers just eight riders. After Kelly top on 21 stage wins and Bennett next on 10 so far comes Stephen Roche - with five Grand Tour stage wins and obviously two Grand Tour GC wins, the Tour and Giro in 1987.

Dan Martin, who retired at the end of last year, is next with four Grand Tour stage wins. He is equal with the trailblazer Shay Elliott, with four wins; one in the Tour, one in the Giro and two on La Vuelta. Elliott, who was an historic figure in Irish cycling, claimed his first stage victory - on the Giro - in 1960.

He is one of only three Irishmen to wear the iconic yellow jersey at the Tour, along with Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche.

After Martin - who has won stages on all three Grand Tours - and Elliott in the all-time list comes Nicolas Roche and Martin Earley, both of whom won two stages. Earley won one stage apiece on the Tour and Giro and Roche two on La Vuelta. Of course Donegal's finest, Philip Deignan, completes the list as he took a stage victory in La Vuelta.

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