Sam Bennett has made his strongest comments yet about the need for a change of team, but also effectively confirmed it is not a straightforward issue.
Bennett was among a number of Irish riders who spoke to
the media in Yorkshire yesterday in a press conference organised by Cycling
Ireland before the weekend World Championships road races.
The event was a welcome new development, suggesting a
more open and progressive approach by the federation.
In recent months Bennett has been the consummate professional
about his team status. The story, at least parts of it, are well known at this
stage.
He has excelled at Bora-hansgrohe; the team that gave him
his big break and has helped make him the rider he is today.
But it is clear he has outgrown the environment; his star
is simply too big now to see Pascal Ackermann’s inclusion in the Giro team and
Peter Sagan’s selection for the Tour de France cost the Irishman a start in
both races.
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Bennett said earlier this year he did not want to be in a
team where he was stuck behind other riders.
At the same time, he said he accepted the team had
business decisions to make and he was resolute in his commitment to do as well
as he could for the team in the races he was selected for this year.
Since speaking in those terms earlier this year he has
banged out win after win and is the most prolific sprinter in pro cycling this
year; 13 wins and counting.
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In July he seemed close to confirming a transfer to
Deceuninck-QuickStep; boss of the Belgian WorldTour outfit Patrick Lefevere
saying he believed he had an agreement with the rider.
However, since then it has emerged Bora-hansgrohe has been fighting to keep the Irish rider and trying to keep him to an agreement to stay on that they claim he made to them.
Last month reports suggested a wrangle between Bennett
and the team was going to a UCI arbitration process.
It centres on the team claiming Bennett tentatively agreed in May to remain with the team beyond the expiry of his current contract at the end of this year.
Bennett did not speak in specific terms about any of those issues at the media event yesterday.
However, he suggest the matter of leaving Bora-hansgrohe had become something that he had been working to achieve, rather than simply being free to go elsewhere.
“I’m trying my best to get out of Bora. I should have something
today or tomorrow; I’m hoping,” he said yesterday.
“And hopefully I should have a team by next week. But the thing is, this has been going on three months and it’s always been ‘next week, next week’.
"So it should be… but I’m trying my best to get out, I need a change.”
He said the whole issue over his next contract had been “hard
on the brain” when he rode La Vuelta, where he won two stages.
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