Sam Bennett's coach assures Irishman has big goals left to conquer: "He wants win the points jersey in the Vuelta. He wants to win the points jersey in the Giro"
Cycling
Sam Bennett is looking to bounce back up the ranks of cycling and will hope to do it with Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team. The Irishman still has plenty ambitions left in his career, and his coach reveals what some of them are.
“Over the past year or two he didn’t achieve what he what he felt he could achieve,” Bennett's coach Stephen Barrett said in an interview with The Irish Times. “I think there’s that misconception that maybe he is past it. That there’s some better, younger, faster guys. But knowing Sam, and also from speaking to him now, I have no sense that he’s here to take the easy way out."
Bennett has endured two difficult years with BORA - hansgrohe, where he had great support but often lacked the necessary form. Now, into 2024, he moves to a team that will present very different challenges, but he will have renewed motivation to perform and a team that will back him up as the main sprint option. “From day one, he’s said he wants to win the green jersey. He wants win the points jersey in the Vuelta. He wants to win the points jersey in the Giro."
"He has all these big ambitions still, because he knows he’s capable of doing that. I think we’ll see a refreshed Sam in his new colours in 2024. For me, what’s important is that he can execute and achieve what he’s capable of doing," Barrett concludes. Currently, the Irish fast man is training with his new team, but no plans have yet been made public on where he will begin his season.
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- I'm deeply sick of this guy and his unwillingness to race seriously for more than a month or two. I'll never respect riders who do that. Seixas will be stronger than him next season, and maybe Del Toro as well. I don't even think he'll finish on the podium at any GT where Pogi, Seixas, and Del Toro are racing.megasmacky15-11-2026
- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
- If you go watch some races from last season other riders that have never caught Jonas...are now catching him. Some are just riding away from him and he can't hold the wheelmd197514-11-2026
- He just doesn't have the desire anymore. I read an article earlier today that said he almost retired last year. His reasoning was he is away from home to much. Visma was able to keep him riding by allowing him to skip certain camps. So, while currently Visma is doing altitude work...Jonas is at home. Which means 2 things. 1- He maybe fresher than other riders. But, not the condition. 2-Is a somewhat slap in the face to others on the team that are supposed to help him win. Yet feel like he hasn't done what they have so perhaps they don't provide as good of protection or they ride more for theme (which the team may not notice).md197514-11-2026
- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
- Martinez had a good year! 5th at the Tour was a great result for him, albeit largely through getting in successful breaks, but he held it better than Pidcock who’d done the same.Lozza14-11-2026
- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
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