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The Sam Bennett Discussion Thread

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The one and only time Bennett and Ackermann were both contesting the same finish, Bennett boxed Ackermann in and Ackermann tried to go right through him. Between the two of them they took each other out of the sprint and nearly caused a pileup despite being on the same team. I’d say the two lads are very keen to have another go at each other.

Ha I do remember that. Hopefully it's not so agressive next time
 
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Bennett and Ackermann were equally strong this year. Both are good on short climbs. I think Ackermann is even a bit better at short climbs but he has some problems at hard races over 200km.
I dont know which one will be better. Hopefully we will see some good sprints of them against each other.
 
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Bennett and Ackermann were equally strong this year. Both are good on short climbs. I think Ackermann is even a bit better at short climbs but he has some problems at hard races over 200km.
I dont know which one will be better. Hopefully we will see some good sprints of them against each other.
In uphill sprints Bennett is better, this year at the Vuelta he was even closer to puncheur level than uphill sprinter considering that he dropped everyone in Oviedo and was there fighting with puncheurs in Toledo.
 
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I am not sure. At stage 4 Giro d'Italia Ackermann was strong. He won the uphill Sprint at Dtour easily against Kristoff. In China he showed that he gets over short climbs with the best riders.
They are both good puncher sprinters :) Hopefully they have some sprints against each other next year.
 
I see Ackermann as more of a robust classics rider than Bennett. Better in bad weather, longer climbs and on cobbles. I was impressed by him in the Worlds.

Peak Bennett's top speed is a bit higher. Both on the flat and when it's uphill.

But I doubt any of them will ever be competitive in the really hard classics like Ronde and Roubaix. Neither are like Kristof. Sanremo is possible tho'.
 
It’s worth noting that Bennett’s earlier mentors kept telling him he was more likely to make it as a hilly classics rider than a bunch sprinter but he just wanted to be Robbie McEwen. When it comes to classics, in terms of body mass and physiology he’s naturally probably better suited for Liege than Roubaix, but that was before he spent his career so far training as a sprinter. I’d be very surprised if he can be really competitive at either now.

Ackermann might be able to turn into a Kristoff. He’s young and he’s surprisingly durable for a big unit. The thing is though that the rational thing to do in his position is to train to try to be Kittel not Kristoff.
 
I am not sure. At stage 4 Giro d'Italia Ackermann was strong. He won the uphill Sprint at Dtour easily against Kristoff. In China he showed that he gets over short climbs with the best riders.
They are both good puncher sprinters :) Hopefully they have some sprints against each other next year.
The final kilometer in Toledo is at 7% with a couple of stretches above 10%, it's a puncheurs finish a lot harder than a 3%/4% drag like Frascati. I didn't see the Deutschland Tour but if Kristoff was there I guess it was a lot easier as well.
 
Wasn't Toledo something like a short punchy 500 metres uphill? Frascati was 2,2km at 4,2% with the last km at 5%. I think that are both hard finishes for sprinters.
Toledo is comparable to Cauberg. It's about 1km at 6%. The first part is only 3-5% but the last 500 m are like 7.5%. But the stage was easy. It was basically just a HTF. I'd make sense that Bennett are better on those since he is much lighter. Bennett is more similar to Ewan than Ackermann.

But I do think Ackermann has a better engine. He is like the bridge between Politt and Kittel. He has won some rough classics and is better on the cobbles. He might turn into a Kristoff-esque rider in a few years.
 
I think you are confusing Toledo with Oviedo that has a Cauberg like shape with a ramp in the middle of the last km.
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Toledo is an harder finish with more than a km of climbing, the last km at 7%, two stretches above 10% in the last 600 meters, a couple of hairpins and some other turns in a twisting finale and also the cobbles, on a finish like that also a punchy sprinter like Ewan won't be able to survive with the real puncheurs.
 
You are right. The difference between 5-6% and 7% is quite significant when it comes to eliminating the stronger power sprinters.

So Toledo is almost more comparable to a climb like Muur van Geraardsbergen than Cauberg based on your description of a twisty, cobbled hilll?

In theory, that would make Bennett competitive in the Northern classics. But I still think he lacks the stamina required.
 
Nothing official yet regarding Quick-Step? The negotiations with Quick Step are probably taking some time.
Yeah, it’s a funny one. Even Lefevere seemed to be talking like it’s a done deal, so quite why they haven’t just announced “yeah, 2 years, Tour in 2020, possibly aim for green jersey, and the following classics and stage races...” is confusing, if not a little concerning.

Is it possible they want Alaphilippe to have more resources at the Tour? Or that with all the departures their leadout train isn’t what it was going to be?

Brian Holm is a fan; https://www.velonews.com/2019/11/ne...4K5fnWAeM50GBYSv0toSxLvAS8dNeFVRMxP_kVDK0BYdM
 
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I don't know how hard the Teams negotiate with the mangers/riders. Perhaps Quick-Step is treating Bennett like: "Okay, Bora doesn't want you anymore, so we pay you just three quarters of the first salary". It's not always the best situation to be one of the last riders on the market.
Rohan Dennis seems to have the same problem, too, but it is more his "fault" because the bike companys of the Teams will fear him a bit :)
 
There’s a bunch of teams who’d take Bennett if Quickstep started messing him around. As teams fill up their rosters that list gets smaller, but other than teams with obvious gc ambitions (Ineos, Movistar, Jumbo) or already settled sprinters (Lotto, ICA, emmm, Jumbo and Bora) so most of the others would probably give him pretty good terms.
 
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So now it’s official.

A bit early for speculation about his season program, but you’d have to reckon he wouldn’t have gone without a guarantee of a ride at the Tour. If the Poggio is gone, then San Remo has to be considered, too.

I would assume MSR is a definite. DQS love to have multiple cards to play and having a top sprinter who can climb well sitting on the chase while Alaphilippe attacks is pretty obviously a good position to be in.

I think we can also assume that he won’t be doing two GTs, unlike Ewan, Ackermann etc. Jakobsen must get one and presumably Hodeg will get the third.

I mostly want to know what one day races he will be going to.
 
I would assume MSR is a definite. DQS love to have multiple cards to play and having a top sprinter who can climb well sitting on the chase while Alaphilippe attacks is pretty obviously a good position to be in.

I think we can also assume that he won’t be doing two GTs, unlike Ewan, Ackermann etc. Jakobsen must get one and presumably Hodeg will get the third.

I mostly want to know what one day races he will be going to.

If he does go to MSR I'll be booking the day off to go out and watch it. I don't think he can win it but we don't get many chances at a classic in Ireland these days
 
If he does go to MSR I'll be booking the day off to go out and watch it. I don't think he can win it but we don't get many chances at a classic in Ireland these days
I wouldn’t get my hopes up too much. He’s never made it over the Poggio in the front group, and Quickstep were ruthless with Viviani last year. No issue at all with dropping him to give Alaf a chance. Sam’s a better climber than Viviani, so might hang on longer, (and if there is no Poggio, it changes the dynamic completely) but the DQS plan will not be built around him.
 
I wouldn’t get my hopes up too much. He’s never made it over the Poggio in the front group, and Quickstep were ruthless with Viviani last year. No issue at all with dropping him to give Alaf a chance. Sam’s a better climber than Viviani, so might hang on longer, (and if there is no Poggio, it changes the dynamic completely) but the DQS plan will not be built around him.

100% agree. I was more talking about the personal difference between weather I have no hope and watch it at home or the slim hope of a win which drags my lazy ass to the pub to watch MSR in the hope of an against the odds win like I do for Dan in the Ardennes
 

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