Sam Bennett has said he was delighted to win the opening stage of Sibiu Cycling Tour today in Romania, saying he really needed the victory. The Irishman was controversially left off the Bora-hansgrohe team for the Tour de France, with management opting for Belgian sprinter, Jordi Meeus, instead.
However, Bennett has now bounced back in the best possible way; taking a victory at the first available opportunity since his Tour omission. And while the race in Romania is a much smaller event than the Tour de France, it still brings much needed momentum.
That point was not wasted on Bennett today, or his team. Indeed the Carrick-on-Suir rider commented on it after triumphing in a mass bunch sprint into Sibiu after 199km of racing; taking the stage after going long in the tricky finale where Lotto Dstny tried an early kick but were overhauled by Bennett.
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Bennett beat Lotto Dstny's Milan Menton, who was 2nd, with his team mate Michael Schwarzmann 3rd after he tied to catch the Irishman by surprise with an attack just before the sprint was about to open.
“It was a team effort to win today," Bennett said of his team mates closing down the early breakaway. "They controlled the race all day and put me in the position I wanted to go for it alone in the final kilometer. I really needed that win at this crucial point of my season.
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"There are a lot of riders and teams who want to make a next step, and they are going full gas, really making it difficult for the likes of myself. The breakaway was strong today and they were riding 200k in the heat.
"I didn't expect the heat to catch me out as much as it did, and these finals are really aggressive. I'll be going full gas tomorrow again to do my best for Schachi and the other climbers in the team."
The Irishman's sports director, Jens Zemke, said while their Bora-hansgrohe team was by far the strongest in that race, that brought its own pressures.
“We are the only WorldTeam competing here, so there is a lot of responsibility on our shoulders. But the boys did a great job. In the end, Sam was also delivered perfectly for the sprint," he said.
"Hats off to Sam for performing so well here. It was really a great start. Tomorrow’s mountain finish will be tough, but we already know the course from previous years.”
