A win in the bag earlier in the season than ever before and having shown a brilliant turn of speed; Sam Bennett means business in 2019.
Sam Bennett has said while he was annoyed with the tactics of Deceuninck-QuickStep in the final sprint at Vuelta a San Juan yesterday, the Belgian team had ridden cleverly.
Maximiliano Richeze (Deceuninck-QuickStep) shouldered Bennett hard in the sprint to make room for himself and Alvaro Hodeg in his wheel.
Bennett could be seen looking at the two riders in the sprint; part in surprise at being barged so hard and partly to assess his rivals.
And he simply allowed both of them past him, jumped into their slipstream and then sprinted past them to win; a text book finish.
"I could see Deceuninck-QuickStep was focused on me and in the last 300 metres. They pushed me in the wind,” he explained.
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“I could have pushed back but we would both have been in the wind and so it was a lose lose scenario.
“I was a bit annoyed but it was a clever move by them, they knew what they were doing.
“The best thing would have been to block the spot before they could get in but it was too late when they pushed in.
"I decided to give them the space, let them in and go later but I almost waited too long. In the end I just had enough road and got it in the last 50 metres."
And having claimed a victory so early in the season, earlier than he ever has, he was upbeat and full of confidence.
“It’s very good for the confidence. I came here looking for a stage win so it’s good for the morale. It’s good to start the season with a win in the first stage race so I’m really, really happy.”
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“The hardest part was in the final. I had the guys doing the perfect lead-out. And I think QuickStep’s focus was on me and they held me out in the wind really early.
“So in the end I had to hang back a little bit and try and come later in the sprint. In the end I went a little bit too late but I had enough power.
“So the most difficult part was probably about 300 metres to go for me,” he added of having to wait a little bit before really launching himself.
Sam Bennett added the race had been enjoyable, with a lot of support from the people of Argentina.
“The crowds are like something you’d see in the Tour de France or the Giro d’Italia. It’s a great atmosphere; amazing crowds.”
Very noticeable on the front of the group in the sprint, and punching the air with Bennett was Peter Sagan.
The lead-outs by Bora-hansgrohe were good in Argentina in the sense the riders committed and rode for each other.
Sam Bennett's big lead out man
However, they weren’t as smooth as they might have been. And in the two sprints Bennett was involved in – the first and last stages – he lost his lead-out men.
Still, he won yesterday and it can take teams a few races to get their eye in when it comes to getting the lead-out as well drilled as possible.
But Sagan, to his credit, committed fully for Bennett yesterday. Sam Bennett said it was great to have Sagan working for him, but added it increased the pressure to deliver.
"Considering what Peter has won, he doesn't have to lead me out. He could sprint himself,” Bennett said modestly.
“Sagan leading me out is really cool but it puts me under pressure too. With teammates like him, I can't screw up. I had to pay them back,” adding the whole team had ridden brilliantly.
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