It's been a while since sprinter Sam Bennett started his season so late, and the start to the 2026 campaign has added significance for the Irish rider
Sam Bennett has said he spent his time after his heart scare, and surgical procedure, to recover but then soon set about the business of whipping himself into shape for the season. The 35-year-old with 71 career wins - 10 of them Grand Tour stages - is about to race again, but with the pressure off.
“For me it’s more of a wildcard; to test the water, race on instinct and see where I am," he said of his racing return in Belgium tomorrow, Wednesday. "I just want the freedom to race naturally and see what happens.”
Bennett underwent medical treatment for atrial fibrillation, which causes an irregular heart beat. He had the procedure in Germany just days after he suffered a heart scare while in London in November. He now gets back into racing at the 186km Nokere Koerse (1.Pro).
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His team has said its focus, on that of Bennett, has been on recovery first and then "beginning a gradual and closely monitored return to training over the past three months".
It added "throughout the process, the team prioritised a measured approach, respecting the timeline required to bring the rider back to racing safely and sustainably".
Bennett - who took his last win at Région Pays de la Loire Tour (2.1) last April - seems very happy with how the last few months have gone. Once training began, he could see he was making progress.
“Once I got a certain amount into recovery for the heart, the fitness actually progressed quite quickly. But what I noticed was that it felt like training an injured muscle again, like any other muscle in the body.
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“I was describing it recently like this: you push to a limit, that becomes the normal zone, and then you push to the next limit. It was really like retraining the heart gradually.
“My general fitness is very good - the base and the Zone 2 work feel normal again. What still needs time are the repeated high efforts and time in VO2 max. That’s something you can’t rush.
“This race will be exciting because it’s a chance to see where I am. It’s a learning curve — to understand what’s good, what’s not good and what I still need to work on.”
He added he is now very motivated, and a bit nervous, ahead of his racing debut for the team.
“It’s strange to have the nerves of the first race of the season this late in March, but I’m excited. Nervous as well - in a good way - and really looking forward to racing again.
“Normally the first races are further south, but Belgium is aggressive racing with a lot of accelerations. It’s a different style, but I’m excited for it.
“It will be really nice to race with the guys and properly be part of the team. Everyone has been incredibly supportive, but until you train and race together you’re still watching a bit from the sidelines.”
At Nokere Koerse, Italian sprint Matteo Moschetti, who finished 2nd in last year’s edition, will be team leader.
