Sam Bennett will be back in action from tomorrow, with several likely chances of sprinting for victory, at the five-stage Renewi Tour (2.UWT). The Irishman last raced a couple of weeks ago at Tour de Pologne.
While he was a non-finisher on the final stage, he also took 2nd place, behind Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike), on stage 4. A victory over coming days in Germany could really kick start the rest of Bennett's season, his first with Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale.
Bennett will face one of the best line-ups of sprinters assembled anywhere this year as the field is absolutely packed with top tier speedsters all looking for victories.
He will not be the only Irish rider in the race, though Ben Healy - who was provisionally penciled in - will not line out for EF Education EasyPost, opting to build is late season, towards the Worlds, elsewhere.
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However, Ryan Mullen will be on the start line tomorrow in Riemst, where he will be on lead-out duties for Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe sprinter Sam Welsford; the Australian fresh from team pursuit gold at the Paris Olympics.
There should be at least two chances for Bennett and the other sprinters in Germany as stages 3 and 4 are pan flat. However, while the number of top tier fast men in the field means their teams will ensure those stages end in sprints, it also means Bennett will face stiff opposition in those gallops.
Among those who will also be gunning for stage wins are Jasper Philipsen with his Alpecin-Deceuninck deluxe lead-out man, Mathieu van der Poel.
Tim Merlier (Soudal QuickStep) is also in the field as is three-time Tour de France stage winner, and green jersey, Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty), as well as Olav Kooij (Visma | Lease a Bike).
Adding to the star-studded sprinters line-up, Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) will also be in the field, after three stage wins last week at Deutschland Tour, Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Dstny), Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain - Victorious), Sam Welsford (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe), Arnaud Démare (Arkéa - B&B Hotels), Fabio Jakobsen (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) and Dylan Groenewegen (Team Jayco AlUla).
