Sam Bennett (cyclist) explained

Sam Bennett
Fullname:Sam Bennett
Birth Date:16 October 1990
Birth Place:Wervik, Flanders, Belgium
Height:[1]
Weight:730NaN0
Discipline:Road
Role:Rider
Ridertype:Sprinter
Amateuryears1:2007–2010
Amateuryears2:2009
Amateurteam2:Carrick Wheelers Dan Morrissey
Amateuryears3:2010
Amateurteam3: (stagiaire)
Proyears1:2011–2013
Proyears2:2014–2019
Proyears3:2020–2021
Proteam3:[2] [3]
Proyears4:2022–2023
Proyears5:2024–
Majorwins:Grand Tours

Tour de France

Points classification (2020)

2 individual stages (2020)

Giro d'Italia

3 individual stages (2018)

Vuelta a España

5 individual stages (2019, 2020, 2022)Stage races

Four Days of Dunkirk (2024)One-day races and Classics

Classic Brugge–De Panne (2021)

Eschborn–Frankfurt (2022)

Münsterland Giro (2017)

Clásica de Almería (2014)

Nickname:'Sammy B'

Sam Bennett (born 16 October 1990) is an Irish professional cyclist who rides for UCI WorldTeam . He is a road sprinter who turned professional in 2011. He has won ten Grand Tour stages: three stages in the 2018 Giro d'Italia, two stages at the 2019 Vuelta a España, two stages at the 2020 Tour de France, where he also won the Points classification, one stage at the 2020 Vuelta a España, and two stages at the 2022 Vuelta a España.

Early life

Bennett was born in 1990 in Wervik, Flanders, Belgium, where his father Michael came in 1989 to play professional football for local club Eendracht Wervik. He moved with his parents to their native Ireland at the age of four, where he spent most of his early years growing up in Carrick-on-Suir, the hometown of fellow cyclist Sean Kelly.[4] [5]

Career

Early career

Bennett was head-hunted by Vélo-Club La Pomme Marseille at 17, and joined them in the south of France, after completing his first year of third-level education at Waterford Institute of Technology (where he was embarking on an Honours Degree in Health and Exercise Studies). In 2009, Bennett rode, for the first time, the Rás Tailteann with the Carrick Wheelers Dan Morrissey squad. During the 2010 season, Bennett won the under-23 road race at the Irish National Cycling Championships in Sligo, aged 19.

An Post–Sean Kelly (2011–13)

In 2011, Bennett left France and joined Sean Kelly's squad, under the tutelage of manager Kurt Bogaerts. He again won the under-23 road race at the Irish National Cycling Championships and also the Grote Prijs Stad Geel, a UCI 1.2 ranked one day race.

The following year he finished tenth in the under-23 road race at the UCI Road World Championships in Limburg, and seventh in the under-23 road race at the UEC European Road Championships.

In 2013 moved up to Professional Continental level; Bennett won two stages in the Rás Tailteann – stage 3 into Listowel and stage 8 in Skerries – and stage 5 of the Tour of Britain, in which he also took two second places.

NetApp–Endura (2014–19)

2014 season

Having joined in 2014, Bennett took his first professional win at the UCI 1.1 ranked Clásica de Almería and won twice in Germany: the Rund um Köln and stage 5 of the 1.HC ranked Bayern–Rundfahrt into Nuremberg.

2015 season

The 2015 season began for Bennett at the Tour of Qatar, where he won the final stage, finishing in the Doha Corniche. Bennett won the first and third stages at the Bayern–Rundfahrt, allowing him to wear his first professional points classification jersey. Bennett was involved in a mass crash at the end of the Scheldeprijs.[6] Bennett began the Tour de France sick, having been diagnosed with a hernia on his diaphragm. He completed 16 stages of the race before abandoning. He returned to racing at the Arctic Race of Norway and won stage 2 into Setermoen; he finished 2nd in the points classification to Alexander Kristoff. Bennett took his final win of the season at Paris–Bourges in a sprint finish.

2016 season

In March 2016, Bennett won the first stage of the Critérium International in Corsica. Bennett's Tour de France effort was hindered by a crash that resulted in broken fingers on his right hand, but he continued to finish the race last in the general classification – the lanterne rouge – and finishing in the top 10 on the final stage in Paris. After recovering from his Tour injuries, Bennett went on to take a stage win at the Giro di Toscana, and won the points classification. The following month, he won his second consecutive Paris–Bourges.

2017 season

On 7 March 2017, Bennett won Stage 3 of the Paris–Nice.[7] Bennett went on to win 2 stages of the Tour of Slovenia in June, and won the points classification. At the Czech Cycling Tour, he again won two stages and the points classification jersey. In September, he won the Münsterland Giro in a photo-finish. In October, Bennett won four out of the six stages of the 2017 Tour of Turkey.[8]

2018 & 2019 seasons

Bennett started the season in the Tour Down Under, despite having an illness.[9] He also started in the Paris–Nice, but had to abandon midway through stage 3 due to sickness.[10] At the Volta a Catalunya, Bennett finished second on stage two. On 11 May 2018, he achieved his maiden Grand Tour stage victory, winning the seventh stage of the Giro d'Italia in Praia a Mare, in a sprint finish. He then added further stage victories on stage 12, finishing at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari motor racing circuit in Imola,[11] and the final stage into Rome.[12]

In August 2019, he was named in the startlist for the Vuelta a España, his first time competing in the Vuelta a España.[13] On 26 August, he won Stage 3.[14] He also won Stage 14, and finished in second place on four other stages; he finished third in the points classification behind overall contenders Primož Roglič and Tadej Pogačar.

Deceuninck–Quick-Step (2020–21)

In December 2019, Bennett signed a two-year contract with Belgian team .[15]

2020 season

He was named in the team to compete in the Tour de France and narrowly finished in second place in a sprint finish on stage 3.[16] On stage 5, Bennett finished in third place and took the green jersey, becoming the first Irish rider to lead one of the classifications in the Tour since Sean Kelly won the same jersey in 1989. On stage 10, Bennett won his first stage in a sprint finish and also regained the green jersey from Peter Sagan, its seven-time winner.[17] [18] Bennett became the sixth Irish cyclist to win a stage at the Tour de France, after Shay Elliott, Kelly, Stephen Roche, Martin Earley and Dan Martin, and the second, after Elliott, to win a stage in every Grand Tour.[19] [20] On 20 September, Bennett won his second stage of the Tour, becoming only the fifth cyclist to win the final stage of the Tour de France while wearing the green jersey, and the second Irish (and the second from the small town of Carrick-on-Suir[21]) cyclist to win the Green Jersey (after Kelly, who won it 4 times, in 1982, 1983, 1985, and 1989).[22] [23] [24]

He won Stage 4 of the Vuelta a España.[25] [26] On stage 9, he crossed the line first but was relegated for a 'shove' in the final kilometre, with the stage win being awarded to Germany's Pascal Ackermann.[27] In the final stage, he again lost out to Ackermann when he was narrowly beaten into 2nd place in the sprint, thus failing by the width of a wheel-rim to achieve a win on the last-day stage of each Grand Tour, after final-day stage wins in the 2018 Giro d'Italia and the 2020 Tour de France.[28] [29]

2021 season

Bennett missed the 2021 Tour de France due to a knee injury.[30] [31]

Bora–Hansgrohe

In August 2021, Bennett was announced to be rejoining on a two-year contract, along with his teammate Shane Archbold.[32]

2022 season

Bennett was not part of the Bora–Hansgrohe team that took part in the Tour de France.[33]

In August Bennett won the second and third stages of the 2022 Vuelta a España in two sprint finishes. He became the second Irish rider to win at least 10 stages in Grand Tours after Sean Kelly.[34]

Decathlon–AG2R La Mondiale (2024–present)

In November 2023, Bennett signed with the team for 2024.[35]

2024 season

In May he won the Four Days of Dunkirk after winning four of the six stages of the race, it was the first general classification win of his professional career.[36]

Career achievements

Major results

2008
  • 1st Points race, UEC European Junior Track Championships
  • 1st Road race, National Junior Road Championships
  • 1st Martin Donnelly Junior Tour[37]
    2009
  • 1st Alleins GP[38]
  • 1st Stage 7 Rás Tailteann
  • 5th Road race, National Under-23 Road Championships
    2010
  • 1st Road race, National Under-23 Road Championships
  • 1st Stage 4 Rhône-Alpes Isère Tour
  • 7th Grand Prix de Vougy
  • 8th Dijon–Auxonne–Dijon
    2011
  • National Road Championships
  • 1st Under-23 road race
  • 5th Road race
  • 1st Grote Prijs Stad Geel
    2012
  • 3rd Ronde van Noord-Holland
  • 7th Road race, UEC European Under-23 Road Championships
  • 8th Grote Prijs Stad Zottegem
  • 10th Road race, UCI Under-23 Road World Championships
    2013 (1 pro win)
  • 1st Overall Suir Valley 3 Day
  • Rás Tailteann
  • 1st Stages 3 & 8
  • 1st Stage 5 Tour of Britain
  • 4th Schaal Sels
  • 4th Kernen Omloop Echt-Susteren
  • 7th Dutch Food Valley Classic
  • 10th Omloop van het Waasland
    2014 (3)
  • 1st Clásica de Almería
  • 1st Rund um Köln
  • Bayern–Rundfahrt
  • 1st Sprints classification
  • 1st Stage 5
  • 2nd ProRace Berlin
  • 5th Scheldeprijs
  • 6th RideLondon–Surrey Classic
    2015 (5)
  • 1st Paris–Bourges
  • Bayern–Rundfahrt
  • 1st Stages 1 & 3
  • 1st Stage 6 Tour of Qatar
  • 1st Stage 2 Arctic Race of Norway
  • 2nd Velothon Berlin
  • 4th Trofeo Playa de Palma
  • 10th Trofeo Santanyi-SesSalines-Campos
    2016 (3)
  • 1st Paris–Bourges
  • 1st Stage 1 Critérium International
  • 2nd Trofeo Felanitx-Ses Salines-Campos-Porreres
  • 3rd Eschborn–Frankfurt – Rund um den Finanzplatz
  • 4th Trofeo Playa de Palma
  • 5th Overall Giro di Toscana
  • 1st Points classification
  • 1st Stage 2
  • 7th Overall Tour of Qatar
  • 8th Grand Prix de Fourmies
    2017 (10)
  • 1st Münsterland Giro
  • Tour of Turkey
  • 1st Stages 1, 2, 3 & 5
  • Tour of Slovenia
  • 1st Points classification
  • 1st Stages 1 & 4
  • Czech Cycling Tour
  • 1st Points classification
  • 1st Stages 2 & 4
  • 1st Stage 3 Paris–Nice
  • 2nd Down Under Classic
  • 8th London–Surrey Classic
  • 10th Grand Prix of Aargau Canton
    2018 (7)
  • 1st Rund um Köln
  • Giro d'Italia
  • 1st Stages 7, 12 & 21
  • Tour of Turkey
  • 1st Points classification
  • 1st Stages 2, 3 & 6
  • 7th Eschborn–Frankfurt
    2019 (13)
  • 1st Road race, National Road Championships
  • BinckBank Tour
  • 1st Points classification
  • 1st Stages 1, 2 & 3
  • Tour of Turkey
  • 1st Points classification
  • 1st Stages 1 & 2
  • Vuelta a España
  • 1st Stages 3 & 14
  • Held after Stages 4–6
  • Paris–Nice
  • 1st Stages 3 & 6
  • 1st Stage 3 Critérium du Dauphiné
  • 1st Stage 7 UAE Tour
  • 1st Stage 7 Vuelta a San Juan
  • 2nd London–Surrey Classic
  • 6th Road race, UEC European Road Championships
  • 10th Rund um Köln
    2020 (7)
  • 1st Race Torquay
  • Tour de France
  • 1st Points classification
  • 1st Stages 10 & 21
  • 1st Stage 4 Vuelta a España
  • 1st Stage 1 Tour Down Under
  • 1st Stage 3 Tour de Wallonie
  • 1st Stage 4 Vuelta a Burgos
  • 8th Scheldeprijs
    2021 (7)
  • 1st Classic Brugge–De Panne
  • Paris–Nice
  • 1st Stages 1 & 5
  • UAE Tour
  • 1st Stages 4 & 6
  • Volta ao Algarve
  • 1st Points classification
  • 1st Stages 1 & 3
  • 2nd Scheldeprijs
    2022 (3)
  • 1st Eschborn–Frankfurt
  • Vuelta a España
  • 1st Stages 2 & 3
  • Held after Stages 2–7
  • 3rd Paris–Tours
  • 5th Road race, UEC European Road Championships
  • 5th Münsterland Giro
  • 5th Rund um Köln
  • 5th Ronde van Limburg
    2023 (3)
  • Sibiu Cycling Tour
  • 1st Points classification
  • 1st Stage 1 & 4a
  • 1st Stage 1 Vuelta a San Juan
  • 3rd Road race, National Road Championships
    2024 (5)
  • 1st Overall Four Days of Dunkirk
  • 1st Points classification
  • 1st Stages 2, 3, 5 & 6
  • 8th Overall Région Pays de la Loire Tour
  • 9th Overall Tour de la Provence

    Grand Tour general classification results timeline

    Grand Tour2015201620172018201920202021202220232024
    Giro d'Italia158112
    Tour de FranceDNF174138DNF
    Vuelta a España134137DNF

    Classics results timeline

    Monument20142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
    Milan–San Remo7812966286042DNF
    Tour of FlandersDNF
    Paris–Roubaix134OTLNH
    Liège–Bastogne–LiègeHas not contested during his career
    Giro di Lombardia
    Classic20142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
    Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne19DNF24DNF
    Brugge–De PannePreviously a stage race117DNF
    Gent–Wevelgem12DNF17DNF55106DNFDNF
    Scheldeprijs5DNF128213
    Eschborn–FrankfurtNH3227NH169DNF
    Hamburg Cyclassics11313011NHDNF
    Münsterland Giro111115
    Paris–Tours100153
    Legend
    Did not compete
    DNFDid not finish
    IPIn progress
    NHNot held

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: BORA – hansgrohe. 15 July 2019.
    2. News: 2020 Team Preview: Deceuninck-QuickStep. Barry. Ryan. Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. 31 December 2019. 2 January 2020.
    3. Web site: Deceuninck - Quick-Step. UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. 1 January 2021. https://archive.today/20210101071627/https://www.uci.org/road/teams/TeamDetail/15237/1000495/279. 1 January 2021.
    4. Web site: I almost gave up on my pro cycling dream – Bennett . Tracey . Cian. 8 October 2014 . independent.ie. 25 February 2015.
    5. Web site: Bennett aims to start with a bang at Qatar and Oman . Kelly . Cillian . 28 January 2015 . cyclingnews.com. 25 February 2015.
    6. Web site: Scheldeprijs finale marred by mass crash.
    7. News: Ireland's Sam Bennett secures biggest win of his career in France. 7 March 2017. Irish Independent. 8 March 2017.
    8. Web site: 2017 Tour of Turkey. 15 October 2017. Cycling News. 17 October 2017.
    9. News: Sam Bennett struck down with before Tour Down Under . Cyclingnews.com. 8 January 2018. 8 January 2018.
    10. Web site: Ireland's Sam Bennett abandons Paris-Nice on stage 3. 2018-03-06.
    11. News: 'I just went for it' – Sam Bennett on becoming the first Irishman in 30 years to win two Grand Tour stages. 17 May 2018. The 42. 22 December 2019.
    12. News: Ireland's Sam Bennett wins final stage of Giro d'Italia in thrilling sprint finish. 27 May 2018. The 42. 31 May 2018.
    13. Web site: 2019: 74th La Vuelta ciclista a España . 23 August 2019 . ProCyclingStats.
    14. News: Double Irish celebration at Vuelta as Sam Bennett wins Stage 3 while Nicolas Roche keeps leader's jersey. 26 August 2019. Irish Independent. 27 August 2019.
    15. News: Bennett describes QuickStep move as a 'dream come true'. 3 December 2019. The 42. 4 December 2019.
    16. Web site: Bennett agonisingly beaten on the line again as wait for Tour de France win goes on. 1 September 2020. The 42. 1 September 2020.
    17. Web site: Sean Kelly: Sam Bennett deserves Tour de France green jersey after hard times . Benson . Daniel . 3 September 2020 . . 7 September 2020.
    18. Web site: Ireland's Sam Bennett wins Stage 10 to regain Tour de France green jersey. 8 September 2020 . The 42. 9 September 2020.
    19. Web site: Tour de France: Sam Bennett wins stage 10 as Primoz Roglic keeps yellow jersey. 8 September 2020 . Guardian. 9 September 2020.
    20. Web site: Sam Bennett wins stage 10 of Tour de France. 8 September 2020 . RTE Sport. 9 September 2020.
    21. News: Sean Kelly: Sam Bennett delivered on the potential he always had with Tour de France green jersey. RTE. 21 September 2020. 26 October 2020. It's an incredible achievement for the town of Carrick-on-Suir, with a population of under 6,000 at the last census, to produce two green jersey winners some 31 years apart..
    22. Web site: O'Riordan. Ian. 'I never thought I'd be good enough' – Sam Bennett clinches Tour de France green jersey. 2020-09-22. The Irish Times. en.
    23. Web site: Sam Bennett takes final stage and wins Ireland's 1st Tour de France green jersey in 31 years. 20 September 2020 . The 42. 23 September 2020.
    24. Web site: 'It's amazing' – Bennett seals green jersey by sprinting to final stage victory. 20 September 2020 . RTE Sport. 23 September 2020.
    25. News: Vuelta a España: Sam Bennett wins stage 4. Stephen. Puddicombe. CyclingNews. 23 October 2020. 23 October 2020.
    26. Web site: Super Sam Bennett makes it back-to-back Vuelta stage wins for the Irish. 23 October 2020. The 42. 27 October 2020.
    27. Web site: LA VUELTA 2020 – SAM BENNETT RELEGATED FROM STAGE WIN AFTER 'SHOVE' IN THE FINAL KILOMETRE. Eurosport. Tom Owen. 29 October 2020. 9 November 2020.
    28. News: Pascal Ackermann pips Sam Bennett in stage 18 sprint as Roglič seals Vuelta a España. Cycling Weekly. Jonny Long. 8 November 2020. 9 November 2020.
    29. News: Vuelta a España – Stage 18 Highlights – Cycling – Eurosport. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/JpCKEAs-wg4 . 2021-12-21 . live. YouTube. 8 November 2020. 9 November 2020. Just a wheelrim involved between the pair of then, Sam Bennett not quite coming to get that hat-trick he'd been searching for of last day wins on all the Grand Tours..
    30. Web site: Sam Bennett ruled out of Tour de France with knee injury. 21 June 2021. RTE Sport. 22 June 2021.
    31. Web site: Sam Bennett’s exit from Tour de France sparks tension in his team. 21 June 2021. Irish Times. 22 June 2021.
    32. News: Sam Bennett returns to Bora-Hansgrohe on two-year contract. VeloNews. Outside. 3 August 2021. 7 January 2022.
    33. Web site: Ireland's Sam Bennett misses out on Tour de France spot again. 28 June 2022. The 42. 29 June 2022.
    34. Web site: Sam Bennett clinches second successive victory at Vuelta a Espana. 21 August 2022. Irish Independent. 23 August 2022.
    35. Web site: Sam Bennett and Victor Lafay sign for revamped Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale team. 27 November 2023. Cyclingnews.com. 21 May 2024.
    36. Web site: Sam Bennett wins final stage to seal overall victory in Four Days of Dunkirk. 19 May 2024. RTE Sport. 21 May 2024.
    37. Web site: Bennett secures Junior Tour title. Irish Independent. 2008-07-14.
    38. Web site: BENNETT TAKES VICTORY IN FRANCE . Irish Cycling . 2009-08-03 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110726112159/http://www.irishcycling.com/publish/news/art_4215.shtml . 2011-07-26 .