Bennett | "I may be one of the fastest here, but nothing is guaranteed"

Sam Bennett has said while he may be one of the best sprinters on paper at the Four Days of Dunkirk, on the road everything is up for grabs

Sam Bennett (AG2R La Mondiale Team ) may have gone into the Four Days of Dunkirk as one of the big sprint names in a field not packed with fast men, but he has said he was delighted to open his 2024 account into Abbeville today.

Bennett has started other races in recent months as a stand-out rider yet come away without a victory. And with his team's Tour de France selection set to take shape in coming weeks, his victory on stage 2 today simply could not have come at a better time.

The Irishman said today's gallop was "a great sprint" and the relief and delight was palpable as he came over the line celebrating the win and the getting no shortage of pressure off his shoulders in a season when he was winless before today as his team mates won again and again.

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"I am very happy to bring this victory to the team," he said after taking the bunch sprint to win, 24 hours after finishing 3rd on the sodden finale of stage one.

"On paper I may be one of the fastest sprinters of the Four Days of Dunkirk, but on the road there is nothing guaranteed. Today the team did a lot of work, I am very proud of all my teammates.

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"They have a lot of experience, it’s a privilege to race alongside them. It's really incredible to be able to win thanks to them. For the rest of the race, we will take it day by day and see how it goes."

Bennett now leads the race, thanks to time bonuses, with four stages remaining; all of which could be chances for the sprinters, meaning he is in with a good chance of another stage win, and even taking overall victory.

For now, however, the important thing is the Irishman has a victory in the bag, which should ease the pressure on him and boost his confidence. He also looked fresher in the sprint today, and though he was not competing against other top names, it was his first win for 10 months, and with his new team, and one he badly needed.

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