"I can think better and I am not stressed" - Sam Bennett finally over physical issues and eager to begin 2023 season

Late 2021 and early 2022 were riddled with a knee injury and poor form for Sam Bennett, who is now leaving behind a rough year and a half to have a fresh start in 2023 with BORA - hansgrohe.

“Mentally, the season could have lasted two or three months longer, because I felt like I found my legs again. I was just getting started and if you have that feeling, you want to keep busy”, Bennett said in an interview with Wielerflits. Bennett had a rough split with Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team in 2021, but his lack of form kept on through the first half of 2022, putting pressure on himself and the German team.

“The team understood my situation, but was also proactive. The worst feeling is when you are in an environment where no one is doing anything to help you," he continued. "But now I was helped well and that was very good for me mentally. Then you see that I am making progress and riding better in competitions.”

He started showing glimpses of good form towards the end of the year, winning two stages at the Vuelta a Espana (before abandoning with Covid-19) and then racing aggressively at Paris-Tours before finishing third. It was a sign the Irishman was back to great form, however too late into the year.

“I felt like I should have been back a long time ago, but it wasn't until the Tour of Poland that I really felt I was back," he explains. "I was very close to that victory, but everything had to fall into place. It was waiting for that snowball effect. At the European Championship I was already a lot better and then my victories in the Vuelta followed.”

“I did win, but I didn't feel the old one yet. As the race got tougher, I saw my peak power come back. I started climbing better and really got better. I flew. If I had finished that Vuelta, I would have been at the top level. It wasn't until Paris-Tours that the engine was up to par again," the 32-year old admits. "It felt good to finish third. I wanted to finish the season well, just like everyone else in the team. At the end of 2021 I started the winter with a backlog and that's not nice. Now we can work towards the new year with a fresh start.”

In 2023 he will then be back to his best ambitions, which see him target the green jersey at the Tour de France, alongside several wins throughout the season. Alongside Danny van Poppel, Shane Archbold and Ryan Mullen, the chances are high to have a sucessful season.

“Many sprinters train their sprint and get better that way, but I have to put in a lot of hours and do long training sessions to get better as a sprinter," he said, admitting that a change in training methods may have been the catalyst for his improvement in the closing months of the season.

"Almost like a classic cyclist trains. When I used to train at my top speed, I was too tired to sprint at the finish. So that didn't work. I sprint better when I focus on endurance, strength and developing a big engine. Then I am fresher, I can think better and I am not stressed," he concluded.