Sam Bennett is eyeing his best form in 2023, and a goal he has made very clear is his ambition to win the green jersey at the Tour de France again. However he will face tough competition, including defending champion Wout van Aert.
“The toughest moment last season was when I realized I had the best opportunities of my career, in terms of staff, teammates, bikes, everything… But I wasn't good enough to take advantage of them," the Irish sprinter admitted in an interview with Wielerflits. "But I would not call it a lost year, rather a lost period."
He's talked about his return to form in late 2022 in the extensive interview, and has been clear that he's eyeing a return to the Tour, with high ambitions. “But I don't know which planet I have to come from to get close to Wout van Aert. But if my legs are good, I will find my way in the Tour," he commented.
"If you are strong, you are always well positioned. That's always the case. I also know that I'm not the most explosive and fastest sprinter in the peloton, but you just have to cross the line first," Bennett said. "Sprinting is about so much more. In that respect, I am not afraid of anyone. So I have a great team. Danny [van Poppel] has never made a mistake. He really is incredibly strong. But I can also really rely on Ryan Mullen and Shane Archbold,”
His leadout will likely be there, as Bennett shares Tour ambitions alongside Jai Hindley who will travel to France and let go of his Giro d'Italia title defense. The two-leader strategy can be risky, however Bennett believes that having support for him will not hinder the Australian's ambitions in the general classification.
“People focus on the wrong things. Yes, you need support in the mountains, but you also need riders on the flat," he argues. "There are often opportunities for echelons, and the guys I take with me can also support the GC leader in those stages. I do watch myself in those rides.”
Emanuel Buchmann and Bob Jungels have been named as the likely main supporters for Hindley in the mountains. Assuming van Poppel, Mullen and Archbold make their way into the Tour, that would leave only one more spot available to fill.
“I don't need a complete team, just a few riders," Bennett admits. "In the Tour de France there are so many trains that it almost doesn't work anymore. It's so hard to follow each other. But with a compact train it is easier to find your place.”
With Aleksandr Vlasov eyeing the Giro d'Italia, the team will chase the pink jersey and stage wins there. No sprinters are expected to be racing in Italy for the German team, and Bennett argues that it is the best option to have a fast man present at the Tour de France.
“I don't want to offend anyone in the team, but if you put everything on the classification without sprinters, and that classification fails or there is a big crash… Game over. You can still win stages with a sprinter and then you have something else," he concluded.
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