Sam Bennett shows the strain of a 200km race, with cobbles and 12 tough climbs to be tackled.
Already with a win under his belt this season and not a man to take comfort in mere decent performances, Sam Bennett can nonetheless feel confident in his form after his first European race of the season at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne.
The Bora-Hansgrohe man did not feature in the battle for victory this time around.
But his finishing just 13 seconds off the winning five-man escape after a testing race over a lumpy course suggests the Irishman is in good condition.
And considering the race split to pieces, but with Bennett very close to the head of affairs, it is another signpost that seems to point to a strong campaign ahead for the Carrick-on-Suir fastman.
Sagan sprints in to win, but the other groups - with Sam Bennett in one - were just behind.
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In the end his team mate and world champion Peter Sagan took the five-man sprint that settled victory at the end of 200km race with 12 significant climbs.
Sagan had too much in his legs for the rest of the escape, taking the verdict from last year's winner Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo), with Team Sky's Luke Rowe underlining his classics potential with 3rd place.
Next of the breakaway was Tiesj Benoot (Lotto Soudal) followed by Matteo Trentin (Quick-Step).
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Just six seconds would elapse before Arnaud Demare (FDJ) brought home the next group to win the sprint for 6th place.
Bennett would finish in the next group just seven further seconds back; coming over the finish line eight in the group for 23rd on the day.
Ryan Mullen was given the nod for two huge races this weekend and came through them both.
For Bennett, it wasn't a result that will stand out in his growing palmares.
But on another day his group would not have run out of time to mop up those just ahead and he could easily have been sprinting for victory.
The only other Irishman in the race, Ryan Mullen of Cannondale-Drapac has again shown his worth; the 22-year-old finishing the event in a group just over nine minutes down.
Having shown some very decent form already this season, Mullen was trusted by his team to ride both today's race and yesterday's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
He passed both tests in finishing both races and emerges from the weekend having earned his pro spurs a little more.
He will also have undoubtedly learned a great deal and added to his already impressive form this season.
Sun, Feb 26th: Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne
1 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora - Hansgrohe 4:37:49
2 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek - Segafredo
3 Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Sky
4 Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal
5 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Quick-Step Floors
6 Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ 0:00:06
7 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
8 Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale
9 Zdenek Štybar (Cze) Quick-Step Floors
10 Baptiste Planckaert (Bel) Katusha - Alpecin
11 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Soudal
12 Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica - Scott
13 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Lotto Soudal
14 Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky
15 Stefan Küng (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:00:11
16 Silvan Dillier (Swi) BMC Racing Team
17 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team 0:00:13
18 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team LottoNL - Jumbo
19 Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Cannondale - Drapac
20 Rudy Barbier (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
21 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha - Alpecin
22 Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) Veranda's Willems Crelan
23 Joeri Stallaert (Bel) Cibel - Cebon
24 Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora - Hansgrohe
25 Raymond Kreder (Ned) Roompot - Nederlandse Loterij
99 Ryan Mullen (Irl) Cannondale - Drapac 0:09:28
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