Sam Bennett reflects on "lost" years but still believes he can compete with the world's best sprinters: " I did find myself in an environment where I could become myself again"

Sam Bennett, the 34-year-old Irish sprinter born in Belgium, has enjoyed a career filled with remarkable achievements, including stage victories in all three Grand Tours. However, his last Grand Tour stage win came at the Vuelta a España in 2022, with his most recent Tour de France stage win dating back to 2020. Now riding for Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, who had a great season in 2024, questions remain about whether Bennett is still one of the world’s top sprinters.

After completing his first season with Decathlon–AG2R, Bennett spoke candidly to Wielerflits about the challenges he has faced in recent years, saying, "I admit: it wasn’t the fresh start I had hoped for. But I did find myself in an environment where I could become myself again."

Bennett acknowledged the struggles that have characterised his performances, attributing much of it to timing and circumstances, "The problem: in top sport it’s all about moments. To ride good results, all the capacities you have have to come together at the right moment. We’ve already learned a lot from this year.

“It took a long time before I got my sprint back. Around the time of the Four Days of Dunkirk and the Critérium du Dauphiné I finally started to feel like myself again. I lost that momentum a bit during the Tour de France, and towards the end I also had stomach problems. It wasn’t until early September that I felt I had my sprint back. So that took more than a year."

Despite the setbacks, Bennett remains motivated, drawing on glimpses of his best form during the season.

"The numbers are very good. When it clicks, it's easy. You saw that in the Four Days of Dunkirk. Then it all just comes together at once and I win four times in five days. That's where I saw that I have the capabilities. I was almost ready to take off, but then it went wrong again. So there have been fragments of my best self. That's nice to see, and that keeps me motivated. But of course I want more than that."

Bennett also reflected on the evolving dynamics in the peloton and the challenges of maintaining his position among a younger generation of riders, "That is also the case within the team, sometimes less so for the outside world. Of course, sport just goes on. In your peak years, you get a lot of respect and you are seen as a personality in the peloton.

“But that was quickly over. More and more young riders are emerging, fighting to dethrone you. Those guys are new to the peloton and don't see you as a top sprinter, but of course you still see yourself that way. That feels very strange and takes some getting used to."

The changes have also affected his position in the peloton during crucial moments of a race, "I used to be more accepted at the front of the peloton in the last kilometre, because your opponents know what you are capable of. You are legit and are going to get results anyway. But if you are bad, riders will shout that you should get out of the way because you are not going to do anything anyway.

“If you have the results, sprinting really does become easier. But sometimes it also just depends on the jersey you are wearing. At Soudal Quick-Step we had a great lead-out and we were also accepted at the front. Now we have to enforce that respect with our train at Decathlon AG2R."

Reflecting on the challenges since his injury in 2021, Bennett highlighted how pivotal that period has been, "I must never forget what it takes to get to the absolute top in the first place. It is harder to get to the top than to maintain your position there. When you are at that top level or close to it, you always think: I will come back, I will come back. But I have never been at my best again after my injury in 2021. That was a key moment, because after that 'it' did not come back for two years. I had to start building from scratch."

Despite calling those years “lost,” Bennett remains optimistic about his future in the sport: "They were certainly lost years. They should normally have been the best years of my career, considering my age. But I am still at an age where I am fresh. It is not that I sit down and wonder where 'it' is. I see that it is still there, that it is not over for me. If I did not believe that I could still do it, I would have done something else in the sport. I have to look for consistency, start building sensibly and then set the right goals."