Sam Bennett was clearly delighted and emotional at having won the National Road Race Championships 2019 in Derry City (Photo: Shea Gribbon)
Sam Bennett has said he was thrilled and proud to be crowned Irish champion today, adding he thought he’d never win the elite crown.
Though he was a former junior and U23 champion, his win today in Derry City was his first elite title in the Foyle CC promotion.
He got clear with Eddie Dunbar (Team
Ineos), Mark Dowling (Unattached) and Darragh O’Mahony (CC Nogent-sur-Oise).
And when O’Mahony and then Dowling lost
their places up front, it left Bennett and Dunbar to go head to head do the
gold medal.
On the uphill finish on Shipquay St in
the heart of the city, Bennett prevailed over Dunbar. Ryan Mullen
(Trek-Segafredo) then came from behind to take bronze.
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While Bennett has now won stages in some
of the biggest races in the world, including three at the Giro, winning the
Irish title was clearly a huge moment for him today.
He didn’t manage his usually two arms in
the air victory salute; instead bunch the air excitedly as he crossed the line.
And even after he got off his bike after the finish, he was walking around the finish area celebrating.
“It’s a very proud moment in my career,”
a clearly emotional Bennett said having been presented with his champion’s
jersey and medal.
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“I just can’t believe it; I thought I’d
never get it. Today Eddie was the strong man and I sat on him a little bit on
the last two laps so I owe him a few beers I think.
“I’m really proud to have it,” he said
of the Irish champion’s jersey that his Bora-hansgrohe team must now design for
him.
“I just want to represent it the best I
can and try to win as much as possible in the jersey and do it proud.”
Bennett added the course was a great one
for a championship, saying it allowed the stronger riders come to the fore.
“It was really hard and it allowed us to
really race and the strong guys could really wear down everybody else. It was
challenging, but I’m really happy now. I don’t think it has sunk in yet.”
Bennett said during those last two laps
when Dunbar did most of the pulling he could start to feel the early onset of
cramp.
“I was trying to bluff because Eddie was
so super-strong. In fairness to Eddie, he was doing most of the pulling on the
last two laps. He didn’t even give out to me.”
Bennett was clearly delighted to win and
to be heading back to the pro peloton with the jersey for the next year.
But he said if he hadn’t won the title
race in Derry he would have hoped for Dunbar to take the Irish title instead.
“If he got away I was happy for him to
take it. But I don’t know when this opportunity will come again.
“Eddie is so young and has such an
engine. I’m sure he is going to get it in the future. I thought for me it was
now or never.”
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