George Bennett shares his experience racing with cycling stars: "The four best riders in the world aren't the four hardest working riders in the world"

Having raced for Jumbo-Visma and UAE Team Emirates, alongside riders like Wout Van Aert, Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar, George Bennett had a first-hand experience of what is it like racing with world's best riders. Speaking to Rouleur, Bennett talks about talent and hard work in professional cycling.

"People always like to give this romantic mystique to riders that are really genetically talented. They say that, this guy, mentally he's a fortress or something like that. It's a myth. It's genetics," Bennett says, confidently.

"It's who's got a massive engine. You could find a rider who works harder than these guys and he’s still not going to be as good. I know some of these GC guys really well and I've had to sit at the table with them and make sure they finish their breakfast because they're so nervous before a race, then they go and become Tour de France champions. You can’t tell me they’re mentally unbreakable, they’re not."

"They’ve just got unreal genetics. Biology is on their side and that is a real lottery. People want them to be Gods, doing 40 hours a week in the rain. I'm not saying they don't work hard but it's not that the four best riders in the world are the four hardest working riders in the world."