Sam Bennett comes out swinging to take victory on stage one of Tour Down Under 2020

The first race of the WorldTour was decided in a nervous sprint

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Sam Bennett made an emphatic statement with his new team, taking victory on the opening stage of the Tour Down Under 2020.

Irishman Bennett made his Deceuninck – Quick-Step debut in the first WorldTour race of the year, benefitting from a flawless lead-out and taking a narrow win in a pure drag race for the line.

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Alex Ballinger

Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers.  Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.