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".
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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.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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