Sam Bennett is already starting to look like a more chiselled seasoned pro less than a week into his first Tour de France. Above, during yesterday's stage on the cobbles (Photo: Bora Argon 18-VeloImages)
By Brian Canty
Sam Bennett failed to feature in the first big bunch sprint of this year’s Tour de France today after getting caught on the wrong side of a key split during a crucial part of the race.
The Bora Argon 18 man finished around 14 minutes down on stage winner Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal) and will rue not being in the front group as he has already beaten many of those who contested the finish.
Peter Sagan (Tinkoff Saxo) and Mark Cavendish (Etixx-QuickStep) rounded out the podium on the fifth stage of the 189-kilometre race from Arras to Amiens.
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Bennett’s teammate and normally his lead-out man, Zak Dempster, found himself up towards the front coming to the line.
He managed 12th but was boxed-in after appearing to be perfectly poised with around 500 metres to go.
The stage was another chaotic one, with strong crosswinds and rain making life extremely difficult.
Again, there were some big-name casualties with Frenchman Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis) hitting the deck very early on and being forced to abandon.
Dan Martin’s Cannondale-Garmin teammate Jack Bauer was another who was forced to withdraw due to injuries sustained in a pile-up.
Such were the conditions, or possibly nerves, that even a police motorbike went down; failing to overtake the front group and toppling into a grass verge.
The key moment in the race arrived came after around 100 kilometres when the wind changed direction, turning a headwind into a crosswind.
It was at that moment that the peloton split in two, with the front group containing 100 or so riders, including all the big general classification men, but not Ireland's Bennett.
He, along with four teammates, was caught out and that sequence of events promptly ended his chances.
Wilco Kelderman (LottoNL-Jumbo), Richie Porte and Peter Kennaugh (Sky), and Ryder Hesjedal (Cannondale-Garmin), were some of the other high-profile names to be left behind in that split.
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Of the other Irish contingent, Dan Martin had an easier stage than yesterday, coasting over the line towards the back of the main bunch.
He was 60th on the stage in the same time as winner Greipel and is now 34th overall, still at 7:52.
Elsewhere, Nicolas Roche (Team Sky) took a tumble early on in but remounted and got back into the race, albeit with a few scrapes.
He crossed the line in 96th place at 1:18 and is now 60th overall at 13:36.
Bennett, meanwhile, is down in 174th at 45:34 and will hope for better on tomorrow’s stage, a 191-kilometre trek from Abbeville to Le Havre which features three category four climbs.
Tony Martin (Etixx-QuickStep) finished safely in the peloton with all of the main overall contenders to maintain his overall lead.
The German sits 12 seconds ahead of Chris Froome (Team Sky) with American Tejay Van Garderen (BMC Racing team) a further 13 seconds back.
Stage 5: Arras to Amiens, 189.5km
1. André Greipel (Ger) Lotto-Soudal in 4-39-00
2. Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo
3. Mark Cavendish (GBr) Etixx-QuickStep
4. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha
5. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) MTN-Qhubeka
6. John Degenkolb (Ger) Giant-Alpecin
7. Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ
8. Bryan Coquard (Fra) Europcar
9. Davide Cimolai (Ita) Lampre-Merida
10. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing all same time
60 Dan Martin (IRL) Garmin Cannondale @s/t
96 Nicolas Roche (IRL) Team Sky @1:18
150 Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora Argon 18 @14:15
General Classification
1. Tony Martin (Ger) Etixx-QuickStep in 12-40-26
2. Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky at 12 secs
3. Tejay van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing at 25 secs
4. Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo at 33 secs
5. Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto-Soudal at 38 secs
6. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing at 40 secs
7. Rigoberto Uran (Col) Etixx-QuickStep at 46 secs
8. Alberto Contador (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo at 48 secs
9. Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky at 1-15
10. Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx-QuickStep at 1-16
34 Dan Martin (IRL) Garmin Cannondale @7:52
60 Nicolas Roche (IRL) Team Sky @13:36
174 Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora Argon 18 @45:34
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