"We saw in other careers that you can still win after 35": Sam Bennett targets a resurgence with move to Q36.5

Sam Bennett's transfer to Q36.5 has been one of the main stories of the offseason. The veteran Irish rider, after spending two seasons with Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team, has switched teams and will represent the Swiss Pinarello - Q36.5 Pro Cycling in 2026.

His move to Q36.5 has allowed him to reunite with Kurt Bogaerts, who is currently the Sports Director of the team. Bennett’s collaboration with Bogaerts goes back a decade to their years at the An Post-Sean Kelly team, where the sprinter’s talent first emerged and with whom he spent three seasons (2011-2013).

“He has a very successful career behind him. He won stages in all the Grand Tours, and then in other WorldTour races. But the last years were not successful. He wins smaller races still, but I think he’s capable of more. Now it’s up to the rider to show the hunger to continue," Bogaerts said in an interview to Stickybottle. 

Despite a long and successful professional career in which he has amassed 71 professional wins, Bennett has only ridden the Tour de France four times. His Tour trajectory has been uneven: repeatedly overshadowed at Bora-hansgrohe due to Peter Sagan’s leadership, sidelined by injury in 2021, and omitted from selections in 2022, 2023 and 2025. His best performance came in 2020, back in his prime days, getting two stage wins and securing the green jersey.

"My career was launched by Kurt Bogaerts, so it feels as if I’ve taken a winding path home. As a sprinter, my career has been shaped by hunting for wins and I’ve been really fortunate to have been given lots of great opportunities to perform, and win, at all 3 Grand Tours," Bennett said in a press release the day his signing for the team was announced back in October.

Age is always a factor, especially when you are 35 years old, as it is the case of Bennett. Still, Bogaerts believes the Irish sprinter can return to his best shape. “Sam had a bad crash in Poland and that, in combination with having no contract for next year…they were not good ingredients for Sam, knowing him for a long time. I think that was a bit unfortunate. We looked into him in depth. And we don’t see any issue on a health or medical side that he can’t return to his best level.”

"We saw in other careers that you can still win after 35," he insisted. “It’s mainly in the head, I think. Physically, if you want to do it, if you want to work hard, if you are aware that the sport is moving on and that you need to be open to potentially do some different type of training, then I think a lot is possible."

The coach stressed that the decisive factor to get the best of Bennett is his mindset, and not his physical condition. “I think he needs belief, for sure. From a young age, I believed in Sam and his capabilities. I think many riders, they want to feel the belief around them. I don’t know how I work with him or how I work with athletes, but definitely I think I’m able to do the right things. That he feels that there is belief in him and from our team in him, and I think that’s a massive step for every athlete.”

With preparations underway, Bennett has begun integrating into Q36.5’s system, meeting teammates and planning his schedule. A Tour de France wildcard is an ambition (Q36.5 Pro Cycling is currently a ProTour team, which means it has no automatic invitation to any of the Grand Tours), but the immediate target is simply to win again.

“Let’s try to do the winter good and to get integrated into the team. We need to build everything gradually step by step. To not make mistakes now in the build-up. We need to leave this last season behind and to focus on the basics.”

Q36.5 knows signing Bennett carries risk, as his past seasons have been far from successful. However, Bogaerts embraces the responsibility. "I think the pressure is on me and my team. Sam shows the commitment. Sam shows the hunger. He wants to work and now it’s up to myself and the team to give him the right people around him to be able to be to be successful again."

He also admited that the decision is emotional as well as professional. “I cannot deny there is a personal touch here. I’m happy we found an agreement. Now it’s back to the basics, do everything right and work hard. To get good communication between each other and the team. Then the rest will follow.”