Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) is set to tackle the Giro d'Italia this year after a series of early season targets, starting with the five-stage Etoile de Bessèges (2.1), which gets underway in February 5th.
It will be the first time Bennett has ridden the Giro since his big breakthrough in 2018, when he won his first Grand Tour stage into Praia a Mare. He followed up that success with two more before the race was done; winning into Imola and Rome.
Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale has just published its provisional early season calendar for most of its riders, though Bennett is the only one earmarked for the Giro and Felix Gall is the only rider penciled in to ride the Tour de France.
The fact the teams for the Giro and Tour have not been set out opens the possibility Bennett would also compete in the Tour, which will start five weeks after the Giro finishes on June 1st.
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Bennett's early season races include:
- Etoile de Bessèges
- Tour of Provence
- Tirreno-Adriatico
- Pays de la Loire Region Tour
- Giro d'Italia
The race schedule is provisional, according to his team, as are all of the schedules set out for its riders for the months ahead. Gall is the only rider whose programme published at this point includes the Tour de France.
Bennett told stickybottle in November he was happy with his condition after being forced out of some of his races last year due to a stomach issue.
“Things are looking good. The team is going in a great direction. It is not that they have to improve, but they seem to be improving quite rapidly. It seems to be a really big project that they are doing," he said.
