Sam Bennett back at winning ways a year after: "It was definitely about time to win a race again"
Cycling
Sam Bennett had struggled with a knee injury which took him out of competition for the greater majority of the end of 2021, and had problems getting up to form this year upon his return to BORA-hansgrohe. Hence, it was an emotional day for the Irishman as he returned to his winning ways today after almost exactly one year without celebrating.
“Today everything worked out perfectly! My last win was already 350 days ago and it was definitely about time to win a race again - I’m more than happy this worked out today," Bennett said in a post-race interview. Whether he's got top form or not remains unanswered, however he managed to go over the climbs around Frankfurt with the peloton as the pace was not aggressive throughout the day.
That meant it was all to play for in the sprint. "Right off the gun the team put their stamp on the race and worked very hard for me," he added. BORA were relatively absent in the lead-out to the finish, but when Danny van Poppel hit the win in the final 400 meters with Bennett in the wheel, it was a perfect combination as the duo once again timed their move to perfection - only this time Bennett was the fastest towards the line and took a big win.
"Danny van Poppel did a great lead out in the end and the only thing I had to do was to bring it to the line. About 100km from the finish I had to deal with cramps but luckily I was able to recover before the fast finale in Frankfurt. I really want to thank everyone who believed in me," he concluded.
The win also came at an important day, as Bennett will now take some time to recover from the first part of the season, in order to prepare for the Tour de France.
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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🇩🇪 #Radklassiker That’s the win for @Sammmy_Be @DerRadklassiker 🎉💪🏼💪🏼
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