The Sam Bennett Discussion Thread

[yaco]

One of Ackermann and Bennett will need to leave Bora Hansgrove if they want a regular diet of GT racing.

 

[Beobachter]

Re:

Yup. He’s an elite level sprinter, and he showed at the Giro that he can get over some minor lumps. He’s capable of a TdF stage on the right course, he can maybe even win MSR with a team dedicated to getting him over the Poggio, but he won’t get to try while he’s on the same payroll as Sagan, especially now with the reduced teams.

Bennett wants to race MSR next year, it's the race that matters the most to him to ride.
And that's the best option for Bora by far. A duo Sagan-Bennett is the best thing that could happen for Bora since it solves the tactics problem. Sagan full on the offensive, Bennett for the sprint if ever Sagan is caught back.
Everyone happy, the team even more.
Maybe in two years, it might be a problem if both are too good. Next year, it definitely shouldn't be a problem

 

[Beobachter]

Bennett hasn't raced since the Nationals. There was just no way he would ride the Vuelta.
He was supposed to be back for the Cerami (a month ago), then be in London and he was supposed to be riding in the Benelux. He had to be replaced everytime with no given explanation.
I guess he has to do with his health issues (as often with him unfortunately). If someone has some explanations, it would be highly appreciated

His next race was supposed to be Plouay. Let's see if he'll be there. Let's hope so!

 

[Leinster]

They had Sagan and Bennett at MSR last year. And Kwiat and Alaphilippe, who both had sprinters in the bunch, both said they didn’t think Sagan was playing the “if we get caught let Bennett win the sprint” card. So Kwiatkowski won the race. And Bennett got dropped, I think after the Cipressa, anyway.

 

[Beobachter]

Re:

They had Sagan and Bennett at MSR last year. And Kwiat and Alaphilippe, who both had sprinters in the bunch, both said they didn’t think Sagan was playing the “if we get caught let Bennett win the sprint” card. So Kwiatkowski won the race. And Bennett got dropped, I think after the Cipressa, anyway.

Things have changed since then.
Bennett is way stronger now

But you're right to remind he got dropped too early last time he raced MSR, which is exactly why before pretending to be the first leader of a team for MSR, Bennett has to try to see what he's worth in a race like that first. And that's why a role as a second leader would work for him!

 

[barmaher]

I don't think Sagan will ever be able to play the "I have a sprinter in the bunch" card. I mean he can decide not to work for that reason, but nobody is going to behave any differently.

 

[Leinster]

Re:

I don't think Sagan will ever be able to play the "I have a sprinter in the bunch" card. I mean he can decide not to work for that reason, but nobody is going to behave any differently.

Well yeah, he could’ve had Kittel behind, and he’d still ride just the same. Just pointing out that it doesn’t strengthen Sagan’s hand tactically at all to have Bennett. Certainly not as much as having an Oss or Bodnar to support him and maybe lead out if needed.

 

[Beobachter]

Re: Re:

I don't think Sagan will ever be able to play the "I have a sprinter in the bunch" card. I mean he can decide not to work for that reason, but nobody is going to behave any differently.

Well yeah, he could’ve had Kittel behind, and he’d still ride just the same. Just pointing out that it doesn’t strengthen Sagan’s hand tactically at all to have Bennett. Certainly not as much as having an Oss or Bodnar to support him and maybe lead out if needed.

It does though.
Just look at this year, MSR was a tactical failure, because both Bora and Sagan didn't know which option was the best between going on the offensive and waiting for a sprint. As a result, they did something in-between which obviosuly couldn't work.
If Bennett is a valid card for MSR, then the tactical dilemma is solved for Bora and for Sagan. Instead of being insecure of what he's supposed to do, Sagan could go fully on the offensive (what he couldn't do so far without taking the risk of not being able to participate in the sprint if he was caught back). The problem of the "what if I'm getting caught" is solved since Bennett is a valid option behind.

Bennett is useful because only by his very presence he enables Sagan to be freed of the tactical dilemma he has to deal with until now

 

[tobydawq]

If Bennett wins, the race will not be added to Sagan's palmares, so no, Bennett's presence will not help Sagan.

 

[Leinster]

Re:

If Bennett wins, the race will not be added to Sagan's palmares, so no, Bennett's presence will not help Sagan.

Beo has a point, though, in that if Sagan had Bennett alongside in the last kms this year, he could have gone all out to bridge to Nibali, knowing that if he bridges alone, he wins the race. But if he tows the group across, someone from his team still has a chance to win the race. Part of why he sat up was that he didn’t want to tow, say, Ewan up to Nibali.

 

[grizzlee]

Any news on why Bennett hasn't been racing lately.

 

[Leinster]

Re:

Any news on why Bennett hasn't been racing lately.

Nothing on Stickybottle, except to say he isn’t racing the Vuelta, and they usually have someone with a flask of tea sitting outside Sam’s mum’s house in Carrick trying to pick up the gossip.

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

If Bennett wins, the race will not be added to Sagan's palmares, so no, Bennett's presence will not help Sagan.

Beo has a point, though, in that if Sagan had Bennett alongside in the last kms this year, he could have gone all out to bridge to Nibali, knowing that if he bridges alone, he wins the race. But if he tows the group across, someone from his team still has a chance to win the race. Part of why he sat up was that he didn’t want to tow, say, Ewan up to Nibali.

I know that in a world where it's everything for the team in all instances, this is true.

And even though Sagan does not necessarily appear to be very selfish, I don't think Bennett's presence would have mattered at all to Sagan's tactics because he is more selfish than he's letting on. Sagan is a triple world champion, has (not at the time, granted) won both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, and harnessed successes in practically all races on the calendar where he at his current weight can have the hopes of doing so.

Milan-Sanremo is the glaring hole in that palmares, and if a teammate wins it, I think it would mean quite little to him. It would probably be better than nothing but he even said that he was happy with Nibali winning instead of a sprinter because he's an old friend.

My point is that Sagan would still have had his dilemma. If he had bridged to Nibali, he still risked getting caught and losing, and whether or not Bennett would have been there for the sprint, it would still have been a difficult situation for Sagan because his project is to win, not that the team wins.

 

[happytramp]

So himself and Ackerman seemed to be sprinting against each other today and Sam looked pretty pi$$ed off. Surely he should be looking for another team next year? Still no clearer on what exactly has been happening with him since the end of the Giro.

 

[IndianCyclist]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/sam-bennett-i-love-bora-but-im-not-satisfied-with-missing-the-giro/
Bad Deal for him. Should have changed teams. Perhaps still can

 

[WheelofGear]

Re:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/sam-bennett-i-love-bora-but-im-not-satisfied-with-missing-the-giro/
Bad Deal for him. Should have changed teams. Perhaps still can

At least they get a GT each.

Giro = Ackerman
Tour = Sagan
Vuelta = Bennett

But Bennett is clearly the third wheel.

 

[yaco]

This was always a likely scenario as it's tough for a team to carry three top line sprinters - Anyway it will be a chance to see if Bennett can progress in the Classics, as he has the necessary attributes.

 

[May0maniac]

I can understand him, he did a great Giro and now they'll send Ackermann, who hasn't ridden a single gt, I'd send Ackermann to the Vuelta as his first gt.
That said, I disagree on him getting a spot on the Tour team if he was German, the big problem will always be the fact that he has Sagan on the same team who'll be the team leader for the Tour and the spring classics and that has nothing to do with Sam not being German.

 

[PeterB]

‘what have I done wrong?’ I feel like I’m almost punished. I deserve it [to do the Giro – ed], I deserve it. There’s no doubt about it. How many people could consistently compete with Elia Viviani this year? I was able to handle him. I can’t do anymore. It’s weird. In one way it feels like I’m being smothered but I know that they’re not trying to do that.

Come on Sam, be a man and show them they were wrong on the bike, instead of crying to a journalist!

 

[tobydawq]

He hasn't done anything wrong, he just rides for the one team he shouldn't do.

 

[bjbest]

Re:

‘what have I done wrong?’ I feel like I’m almost punished. I deserve it [to do the Giro – ed], I deserve it. There’s no doubt about it. How many people could consistently compete with Elia Viviani this year? I was able to handle him. I can’t do anymore. It’s weird. In one way it feels like I’m being smothered but I know that they’re not trying to do that.

Come on Sam, be a man and show them they were wrong on the bike, instead of crying to a journalist!

That makes sense, but if you don't get to go to the races, it's hard to show them they were wrong on the bike. Being sidelined from GT sprinting until September when you've proven your ability to actually win GT sprints is a bummer, especially in a contract renewal year. I'm not sure Bennett has any good options. Talking to a journalist now may be the only way to find a team for next year, since he's likely to have a very quiet year otherwise.

 

[Leinster]

Re: Re:

‘what have I done wrong?’ I feel like I’m almost punished. I deserve it [to do the Giro – ed], I deserve it. There’s no doubt about it. How many people could consistently compete with Elia Viviani this year? I was able to handle him. I can’t do anymore. It’s weird. In one way it feels like I’m being smothered but I know that they’re not trying to do that.

Come on Sam, be a man and show them they were wrong on the bike, instead of crying to a journalist!

That makes sense, but if you don't get to go to the races, it's hard to show them they were wrong on the bike. Being sidelined from GT sprinting until September when you've proven your ability to actually win GT sprints is a bummer, especially in a contract renewal year. I'm not sure Bennett has any good options. Talking to a journalist now may be the only way to find a team for next year, since he's likely to have a very quiet year otherwise.

Yup. He's not just being overlooked, he's being taken out of the shop window. He could win 4 stages at the Vuelta, but it won't help because most of the 2020 contracts will be wrapped up in August, and anyone in the market for a sprinter will pick him up as an afterthought.

He's just turned 28. The next 2-3 seasons will be what defines his career as a cyclist. He's basically 2 year younger than Viviani; maybe a move to QuickStep is the way to go..?

 

[samhocking]

In The Cycling Podcast's interview with Bennett he basically said the reality at Bora, is the sponsor wants German riders. He was very pragmatic in admitting that is the reality that the sponsor picks the lead riders for the bigger races and with Sagan that's most of the other sprint races taken care of leaving him with 2nd & 3rd pickings on races.

https://thecyclingpodcast.com/podcast/bennett-dilemma-and-kennaugh

 

[tobydawq]

Ultra important victory for him today in a very stacked field.

 

[Red Rick]

Aaand this guy won't get to lead Giro or Tour. Needs to get out of there asap.