Sam Bennett takes best result of season in Belgium as form rockets ahead of World Champs

Sam Bennett (right) has taken his best result of 2013 today with 4th place in the UCI 1.1 ranked Schaal Sels in Belgium (Photo: Jozet Cooreman)

By Brian Canty

Having taken his first foreign victory of the season in a Belgian pro kermesse on Thursday, Ireland's Sam Bennett has come agonisingly close to winning his first ever UCI 1.1 ranked race today, Sunday.

The An Post Chainreaction rider was fourth over the line in today’s 200 kilometre Schaal Sels race in Belgium after spending 70 kilometres in the breakaway.

Among those to place in the top 10 was this year's Milan-San Remo winner Gerald Ciolek (MTN-Qhubeka). Bennett's upturn in form must put him in the mix for selection on the Irish team at the World Road Championships next month.

He said he was “gutted” not to at least finish on the podium and said the result was even more galling because he has already beaten all those who finished ahead of him, several times.

But the Carrick on Suir sprinter can have few complaints because while he spent a large portion of the race in the break, the rider who won - Pieter Jacobs (Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise) - came across to Bennett in the escape with Baptiste Planckaert (Crelan-Euphony) and did not have to work because he had a teammate already up the road.

And when Jacobs and Planckaert merged with Bennett and the other rider out front Michael Van Staeyen, Jacobs was the freshest of the lot, and dually won the race. Bennett told stickybottle afterwards it was hard to have come so close to winning only to miss out.

“I’ve beaten all those guys before but I was in the break for the last 70 kilometres. So the two Topsport lads worked me over a little because they knew I could sprint and they knew I was in good form after my win the other day. No one gave me any leeway today. I’m guttted.

“I tried to leave the sprint late because I was tired but when i went, the usual kick just wasn’t there.”

The bunch came in 42 seconds down, with fellow Irishman Matt Brammeier (Champion Systems) nothing 15th with Sean Downey 34th.