"It would be really nice to get a stage" at Vuelta a Espana, Sam Bennett says

Despite their high GC ambitions, BORA - hansgrohe have made the decision to bring in Sam Bennett to the Vuelta a Espana, with the hopes that the Irishman will recover his best form and take a stage win in the few bunch sprints that will exist throughout the race.

“It would be really nice to get a stage here, although first of all we’ve got the team time trial, and the very first thing is not to let the team down there," Bennett told reporters before the start of the race. "You probably can’t win the Vuelta that day, but you can definitely lose it. So I’ll be 100 percent committed there, make sure we do a solid TTT, and then it’ll be onto my own goals".

Those, will be at their peak likely on the second and third day which will be his best opportunities to fight for a win. Although at his peak he could survive the punchy climbs quite well, that has not been the case this year, with Danny van Poppel being a premium leadout man and the likely option for the punchy sprint finishes.

“I definitely would like to get a stage here and really fight for the points jersey. But with those goals in mind, it’s an opportunity for me to find my level again. I can see the form is coming, but it’s been two years since my last Grand Tour and with the time I’ve missed the last two years, you kind of feel that," he admitted. "So I find myself in this race again and get those wins".

“Since 2018 whenever I’ve done a Grand Tour, I’ve always won at least one stage and I’d like to keep that pattern, even though I suppose that’s more pressure for myself, rather than external pressure," Bennett said. BORA have done some meaningful changes to fit in the 31-year in the lineup. He was set to ride the Tour de France, but due to his lack of form the team lacked it's leader.

“One of the hardest things for me here is that I have such an amazing opportunity with the race programme, the team, the bikes and the riders around me. And the fact I haven’t felt 100 percent ready to take that opportunity…you don’t want to be ready to take that opportunity when that opportunity’s gone," he said.

“But I’m delighted to have that, going into this race, it gives me confidence. I know the guys can get me there, I just hope I can finish the job off, if I’m honest. I think having that support makes a job a lot easier, if you’re in that right position, the chances are that one will fall for you. In that sense, it is a numbers game," Bennett concluded.