Sam Bennett on his way to 2nd place on stage 2 of the Tour of Britain; he would go on to win a stage and take another 2nd place in a week that played a big role in securing him a move to a bigger team for next year.
By Brian Canty
Ireland's Sam Bennett has been rewarded for his superb season by signing with Pro-Continental team NetApp-Endura for 2014.
The Carrick-on-Suir sprinter has been at Continental level with the An Post Chainreaction team for the past three seasons but is now set to move up a tier in the sport with the German registered outfit.
It is brilliant news for Bennett in a year that has seen a total of five teams fold from both the WorldTour and Pro Continental ranks.
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The 23-year-old has always been an exciting prospect but showed he is ready to take on the best in the world last month when he won a stage of the Tour of Britain. He claimed arguably the hardest stage of the eight-day race and also notched two second places.
Those two runner up slots were no less impressive than his win as he was beaten only by Milan San Remo winner Gerald Ciolek (MTN Quebeka) and Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma Quick Step).
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So far, the new team have a total of 19 confirmed riders for 2014, with Bennett and Portuguese rider Tiago Machado the only two new signings as the team opts for continuity for the coming season.
Bennett has done well to secure a place in a bigger team at a time when such large number of strong riders with UCI ranking points are looking for contracts following the collapse of so many teams in recent months.
NetApp–Endura team manager Ralph Denk said he is very excited at the prospect of Bennett joining the squad.
“Sam is among the best up-and-coming sprinters in Europe. He proved that in impressive style at the Tour of Britain. He will be a valuable addition to our squad of young sprinters. Tiago is an experienced tour specialist, and we signed him on specifically for the general classification at shorter stage races. In addition, with his climbing skills, he will provide added support for Leo Koenig at the bigger tours.”
Denk said the team may add to the new signings in the weeks ahead.
“A lot is happening in the riders market, and there are some exciting options. So we’re still in talks, and we’ll review whether or not to strengthen our team further. But all that is taking place without any pressure because our core team is all set for 2014.”
We’ll have reaction on Bennett for you when we catch up with him.
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