Sam Bennett, right, took the sprint by the scruff of the neck at the Criterium du Dauphine and looks back on form.
Sam Bennett has just fallen short of the biggest win of his career, going slightly too early on the opening road stage of the Criterium du Dauphine and ending up in 3rd place.
The young Irishman had complained of pushing himself too hard in training earlier this season and has had a more trying time than he would have hoped for so far.
But in the bunch finish that settled today's contest into Saint-Vulbas, Bennett coped very well with being down to just one lead-out man.
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He got onto the back of the Cofidis train heading into the final kilometre in what was a robust run-in with plenty of bumping.
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And he then took the sprint by the scruff of the neck, opening up the gallop from the front.
He tied up a little in the closing 50 metres or so and saw Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis) come past him for the win, with Jens Debusschere (Lotto-Soudal) also getting past him for 2nd.
And while the ambitious Bennett was clearly going eyeballs out for victory, his 3rd place and the manner he bossed the action suggests a sprinter back in form and with growing confidence.
More later.
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