Sam Bennett takes NetApp Endura's first victory of the season and the first win of his fledgling pro career at the Clasica de Almeria today.
By Gerard Cromwell
Having already announced his arrival into the pro peloton with some super sprinting at the Tours of Qatar and Oman recently, Sam Bennett galloped to the first victory of his fledgling professional career at the one-day Clasica de Almeria in Spain today.
In the undulating 178km race, Bennett comfortably made the 19 man lead group on the descent of the last climb of the day, the third category Aljibe de la Cruz with 36km to go, despite the best efforts of the Movistar team, who put Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde on the front on the climbs to try and get rid of him earlier on.
“Movistar tried to make it hard all day,” Bennett said afterwards.
“I thought, going into the race that they wouldn’t really know me or the team but they knew us straight away and they set a really hard tempo on the climbs to try and get rid of me. They were setting an unnecessarily hard tempo, going full gas.
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"I figured that if they were riding so hard to soften me up for the end that they must be afraid of me, which maybe sounds arrogant but that’s the way I had to think, but I surprised myself. I was really comfortable and never got into trouble.”
Having failed to ride themselves of Bennett on the climbs, Movistar forced the winning split on a crosswind section after the final descent.
“On the descent, we turned right along the coast and there was a really strong crosswind and it blew apart straight away. After Qatar, it wasn’t so bad, but I was also in an absolutely perfect position. I was just at the back of the echelon and I could just coast along.”
While Movistar had four riders in the move, Cofidis, CCC and Caja Rural all had three but Bennett’s NetApp Endura squad were well able to match them all with Tiago Machedo, Erik Rowsell and Iker Camano also in the front group and making Bennett’s day that bit easier.
“In the crosswind in the final kilometres, Movistar were trying to split it too but it worked out well for us because it got rid of all the other sprinters and made it a bit less complicated for us. The team took absolutely every opportunity they got and made my day pretty straightforward.
“Tiago was drilling it on the front and the two lads, Iker and Erik, were keeping me sheltered out of the wind. With 2km to go, they hit the front and we went into the gutter so that if Movistar went they would have to go into the wind and I could be a little bit sheltered if I needed to get their wheel.”
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The tactic paid dividends and as the Movistar train drove into the final corner, Bennett made his move.
“Going into the last corner they had their man second in line but I pushed into their train a bit because I felt they were going to let the wheel go. They hit the last corner first and then, just before 250m to go, there were people coming up the side so I decided to go around the outside and got the inside line.
I thought I went too early and at 100m to go, my legs were starting to buckle. I didn’t think I was going to make it, but I held them off and got my hands in the air.”
Bennett outsprinted Movistar’s Juan Jose Lobato and Caja Rural’s Davide Viagano to the line to claim his first professional victory, one he says couldn’t have been achieved without the full support of his new NetApp Endura squad.
“I’m really, really happy,” said the 23-year-old afterwards. “To get a first win as a neo-pro, so early in the season... I’m delighted but I really want to thank the lads.
"They looked after me really well all day and got me in the perfect position in the finale. They did unbelievable work and really helped me, so this win is thanks to them. It was a great piece of team riding today.”
Clasica de Almeria 178kms 1.1
1. Sam Bennett (NetApp - Endura) 4:21:33
2. Juan José Lobato (Movistar) m.t.
3. Davide Vigano (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) m.t.
4. Fran Ventoso (Movistar) m.t.
5. Stephane Poulhies (Cofidis) m.t.
6. José Joaquín Rojas (Movistar) m.t.
7. Bartlomiej Matysiak (CC Polsat)
8. Luis Angel Maté (Cofids)
9 Tiago Machado (NetApp Endura)
10. Davide Rebellin (CC Polsat)
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