Sam Bennett’s much anticipated transfer to Deceuninck-QuickStep may not be confirmed yet but that hasn’t stopped the team setting out what it believes the Irishman could achieve in its colours.
Team directeur, and former pro rider himself, Brian Holm has said Bennett is a cut above other sprinters in that he can climb.
He has likened Bennett to Sean Kelly and
believes the 28-year-old Irish champion can win classics.
Holm also believes Bennett could help fill the void left in the team by the departure of Philippe Gilbert, whom he described as the “alpha wolf” in the self-styled wolf pack that is Deceuninck-QuickStep.
His heaping such high praise on Bennett reveals just how much the team wants to sign him, even though it has won more races than any other team every season since 2013.
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Holm said Bennett was such an
interesting and exciting prospect because he would be the first sprinter who
can also climb that the team has had in its ranks and.
He would also be the first sprinter in the team who “doesn’t need four or five riders to support him” in the finales.
“Bennett is like Sean Kelly, winning
from the front. He’s much more than a normal sprinter,” said Holm.
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“To be honest I think he could even win
Paris-Roubaix or Flanders. And then with Alaphilippe, [Kasper] Asgreen, [Bob]
Jungels, [Yves] Lampaert around him, it will be interesting. He’s good now and
no rider comes here and gets worse.”
“He could win Milano-Sanremo. I think he could win almost any classic on the cobblestones; Roubaix, Flanders, Gent-Wevelgem. He will always be quite close.”
Holm made his comments speaking to Velo News, the leading US cycling publication.
Deceuninck-QuickStep ‘s manager PatrickLefevere said as far back as July he believed he had an agreement with Bennett for the Irishman to move to the team from the start of 2020.
However, Bora-hansgrohe then insisted Bennett had agreed to stay with it but has now relented, announcing recently that after such a successful period the Carrick-on-Suir was leaving.
That announcement clears the way for Sam Bennett’s long expected transfer to Deceuninck-QuickStep, though an official announcement is still awaited.
Career on the up...
Sam Bennett started his career with Continental team An Post-Chainreaction; riding for it from 2011 to 2013.
After a Tour of Britain stage win in 2013 he was offered a place with ProContinental team NetApp-Endura.
That squad has since morphed into WorldTour outfit Bora-hansgrohe, with Bennett having been in its ranks for six seasons. He enjoyed his best season to date this year with 13 wins.
This year Sam Bennett started his winning run with a victory at Vuelta a San Juan in Argentina followed by a stage of UAE Tour.
He then went on to take two stages at Paris-Nice and wore the green jersey for a day. Bennett claimed two stages and the points classification at the Tour of Turkey.
That was followed by a Critérium du Dauphiné stage win, the Irish road race championships, three stages and the points classification at the Binck Bank Tour and two Vuelta stage wins.
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