Irish cycling has honoured Sam Bennett for his three Grand Tour stage wins this year. But Bennett says with the competition now within his squad; it is a fight to land a ride in the big tours, even for him.
Sam Bennett says he's fighting for place in Giro 2019
Irish sprinter Sam Bennett rounded off a very successful season with the ‘international performance of the year’ award at Cycling Ireland’s annual bash last night.
But while he won three stages at the Giro d’Italia back in May, it seems even Bennett must press hard to gain a place on the race next year.
New riders have arrived at the team and developing young pros have hit their stride within the Bora-hansgrohe outfit this year.
But having been on the podium four times last year and claimed three victories this year, among eight podium finishes; Bennett said he was very hopeful of making the race next season.
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"I’m fighting for my Giro spot for next year. There’s pressure with other riders in the team, but I feel I deserve my spot,” he said after winning the award last year.
“I’ve been consistent in the race now for two seasons. If that is my plan, I think I can start at San-Remo,” he said of the only classic the pure sprinters can win.
And with Bennett a much better climber than most of the fast men, if his team were able to go all-out up the final climbs of the Italian classic, the Irish rider would have a great chance of winning.
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Praia a Mare, Imola, Rome: Sam Bennett's stage wins of the 2018 edition of Giro d'Italia.
His Bora-hansgrohe team has signed young German star Maximilian Schachmann for next season.
The 24-year-old joins his compatriots Pascal Ackerman (24) and Emanuel Buchmann (25) at the WorldTour outfit.
Bora-hansgrohe is a German team and said recently it wanted to target success with its German riders.
Its most successful riders to date are not German; Bennet being one and Slovak Peter Sagan the other.
Schachmann joins the team for next year on a two-year contract from QuickStep. This year he won stages in the Giro, Volta a Catalunya and Deutschland Tour.
Ackerman has just completed his second year with the team and won eight races this year. And Buchmann has been with the squad since it was Bora-Argon 18.
Sam Bennett joined the team in its NetApp-Endura days, in 2014. Next year, his final season with the outfit under his current contract, will be his sixth with them.
Next year aside, Bennett said he was delighted to win the award last night and to be so well supported at home.
"I moved away from home when I was 18 years old, and there have been times since then when I didn't think I could do it,” he explained.
"To see the support I have had through that from Irish cycling and from everyone in the room is amazing, and for that I'm very grateful.
"I came through the grass roots of Irish cycling, starting with Bobby Power in Carrick Wheelers. He had a mountain bike league at that time.
“It was only a kiddies league, but that's how I got started and so many before and after me.
"Then I worked with Martin O’Loughlin, and the support he gave me then continues to this day, even though I now ride for a WorldTour team.
“He still looks at my training, he still knows me and knows how to approach me better than anyone."
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