Sam Bennett seals comeback week with fourth stage win, GC victory | Video

For Sam Bennett the smile is back, the swagger is back and now he has five wins notched up - four stages, including his fourth today, and the first general classification victory of his career (Photo: Marie Vaning-lnc Cyclisme)

Sam Bennett, Ireland's most prolific winner in Europe, has completed a remarkable comeback week with a fourth stage win today at Four Days of Dunkirk and, in the process, has wrapped up the first general classification victory of his pro career.

While the Carrick-on-Suir man has faced questions in recent seasons as he often failed to reach the heights of that period before his 2021 knee injuries, he has answered the critics, and addressed his own doubts, with an emphatic display since last Tuesday.

Today on the final stage of the race - some 176.8km from Loon-Plage to Dunkerque - the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale rider was again best in a bunch sprint to win, just 24 hours after attacking in the finale yesterday for his third stage victory on what was the queen stage of the race.

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For his latest victory, Bennett held off runner-up Sasha Weemaes (Bingoal WB), Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates), Amaury Capiot (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) and Paul Penhoët (Groupama-FDJ).

The Irish rider opened his race with 3rd place on the first stage and then moved into the general classification leader's jersey when he took the first of his four stage wins on stage 2. Since then he has held that race lead, extending it every day with time bonuses and also with time gaps when the field split on the final climb yesterday.

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Bennett has finished the race overall winner by 36 seconds from Penhoët, with Belgian rider Berckmoes 3rd overall at 41 seconds. Ireland's Bennett, whose confidence will now be sky high with a summer of racing to come - including the Tour de France - also won the points classification.

More to come.

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