Sam Bennett has said he was delighted to take his first
win of the season as he could never be sure how his legs were after the winter
break in racing.
In winning stage 4 at UAE Tour today – some 204km
starting and finishing in Al Marjan Island the 30-year-old Deceuninck-QuickStep
rider believed he was clocking up his 50th professional victory.
Bennett said
afterwards it felt “really good” to get a victory so early in the season and in
his first bunch sprint of the year.
“I had to wait a few days to get this opportunity. I was really nervous before the sprint, to do the first bunch sprint of the season."
Sam Bennett continued: “But all I had to do was just follow the guys; they did a fantastic job, each one of them. I was really proud to finish off the job and I think today is my 50th professional win so, yeah, it’s really nice to get that as the first win of the season.”
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“I was a little frustrated missing the sprint on the
first stage and I knew there were only three more opportunities, so I was
really motivated today.
“At the same time, I was pretty nervous, because it was
the first bunch sprint of the season for myself and you never know what’s your
condition coming out of the winter.
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“It was a long, hot stage, but it now feels great to get the first bunch sprint of the year out of the way. It’s a perfect way to start the season.”
With Lotto
Soudal, for Caleb Ewan, and Bora-hansgrohe, for Pascal Ackermann, were on the
front in numbers the closing stages, Bennett and his team appeared to take a
simpler approach to the last kilometre.
After the team had worked to position the lead-out and
sprinted duo of Michael Mørkøv and Bennett, it was Mørkøv who piloted Bennett
to the front in the final kilometre and when he dropped him off the Irish rider
didn’t hesitate.
But rather than following Mørkøv to the right of the
group in the dash to the line, Bennett sprint to his left as he felt it was a
better route to the chequered flag.
He inadvertently bumped David Decker of Jumbo Visma and though it was clearly accidental, Decker was visibly frustrated crossing the line in 2nd place again.
The young Dutch rider - aged 23 years and in his first race at this level - had also been runner-up on the opening stage when he impressively made the front group only to be beaten in the sprint by Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin Fenix).
Bennett said he could see at the last month that the
route to the left was a clearer one so he took it.
“I could see they were going to the right and the right
side of the road was the shortest line. But I could risk going up and having to
hit the anchors (slowing if he ran into other riders) and so I had to go the
long away around and I could carry enough speed.”
When asked by the TV interviewer his thoughts on David
Decker, Bennett was immediately sure who the interviewer was referring to, but
once he was sure he said the young Dutch rider was riding very impressively.
“It’s fantastic
to see, he’s obviously a very talented rider. He’s come straight in, his first
pro race and to be up there… I’m sure I’ll be seeing his name time and time
again. For sure, it’s only the beginning for this guy.”
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