Sam Bennett suffers in hotter and harder edition of Milan - San Remo
The Irishman was in the thick of the action before cracking on the Poggio and suffering a puncture

A pure sprinter hasn't won Milan - San Remo since Arnaud Démare in 2016, but when Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal) and Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) were spotted falling out the back of the bunch, Sam Bennett's odds of winning plummetted.
Television pictures showed the Deceuninck - Quick-Step man fighting hard to stay in contention as the pace increased, but eventually the Irishman succumbed to the gradient.
"No, no, no," Bennett replied when asked about whether he was close to clinging on towards the top of the Poggio. "I blew, it was hard. I just didn't have the legs.
"I was okay, I had a flat tyre on top of the Poggio but I don't think that was the problem. I went around the corner on the top and nearly fell."
Bennett eventually rolled in 60th, four and a half minutes down, not quite matching up to his best-ever 28th placing last year.
For the 29-year-old sprinter it was a multitude of factors that cost him a chance of victory, a perfect storm tearing through sprinters' dreams of taking their Monument.
"It felt different to other years. The heat got to me a bit, I think it got to a lot of guys...but it's hard, I think the race is harder with this parcours," he said.
"I think without the racing beforehand it's harder," Bennett added, about the abrupt resumption of racing following the coronavirus pandemic. "Because we've only raised just over a week or so. And then straight into 315km races so it's going to be hard."
The Irishman will next race the Tour de Wallonie in a week's time as build-up to the Tour de France, his first since 2016, where he will be hoping to finally take a stage win to go with his victories at the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España to complete his Grand Tour set.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Hi. I'm Cycling Weekly's Weekend Editor. I like writing offbeat features and eating too much bread when working out on the road at bike races.
Before joining Cycling Weekly I worked at The Tab and I've also written for Vice, Time Out, and worked freelance for The Telegraph (I know, but I needed the money at the time so let me live).
I also worked for ITV Cycling between 2011-2018 on their Tour de France and Vuelta a España coverage. Sometimes I'd be helping the producers make the programme and other times I'd be getting the lunches. Just in case you were wondering - Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen had the same ham sandwich every day, it was great.
-
-
No joy for Yates after Giro d'Italia victory: five talking points from stage 14
Yates won the stage, but he wanted to win the race
By Stephen Puddicombe • Published
-
Men's Velocio LUXE bib shorts review
They're as good as the price demands, quickly becoming the go-to bib shorts
By Chris Marshall-Bell • Published
-
Milan-San Remo's organiser is planning to create women's event for 2023
RCS is looking to add a women's Milan-San Remo to the calendar next year
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Wout van Aert: 'I wasted a lot of energy on Pogačar’s attacks'
Belgian says lack of cohesion in the chasing group cost them a shot at Milan-San Remo victory
By Richard Windsor • Published
-
Tadej Pogačar: 'I didn’t dare follow Mohorič at Milan-San Remo, I know that he's crazy when the road goes down'
The Tour de France champion came up short after repeated attacks on the Poggio
By Richard Windsor • Published
-
Five talking points from Milan-San Remo 2022
The spring Classics season got off with a bang at the first Monument of the year
By Stephen Puddicombe • Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel 'disappointed' after racing return at Milan-San Remo ends in podium finish
The Dutchman says his third place was 'another missed opportunity' but was pleased with status of back injury
By Richard Windsor • Published
-
Matej Mohorič says he used dropper post on his bike at Milan-San Remo
The Slovenian adopts mountain bike tech to enable fast descent off the Poggio
By Richard Windsor • Published
-
Matej Mohorič puts in stunning descent to solo to Milan-San Remo glory
The Bahrain-Victorious rider attacked on the descent of the Poggio to win the season's first monument.
By Pete Trifunovic • Published
-
Defending champion Jasper Stuyven out of Milan-San Remo with sickness
Mads Pedersen will step in and race his first La Classicissima
By Anne-Marije Rook • Published