Sam Bennett eyes bigger targets after Turkish victory
Sam Bennett has finished off his season in style after winning stage six of the Tour of Turkey.
The Carrick-on-Suir man surprised the peloton with a solo attack 1.5km from the line and despite a big push from behind, they were unable to claw him back. This was his third win of the week, but definitely his most satisfying.
“Firstly, I want to thank the BORA-Hansgrohe boys for their amazing work today. The whole team came together to put me exactly where I needed to be before I attacked. I can’t thank them enough,” he said at the finish in Istanbul.
The sprinter says his attack was well planned and his current good form allowed him to execute it perfectly.
“With the top 10 on GC sitting so close on time, I knew I needed to just ride when the moment was right and it paid off. Attacks were imminent and the legs felt good so I made sure to get the win for the team and to take home the Sprint Jersey too. I’m so happy that this is how I’ve finished my 2018 season.”
Bennett admitted he had unfinished business with this race after his crash on the same stage 12 months ago. This made the win all the sweeter for the sprinter.
“For that, and the type of finish it was today I think it was probably my favourite win out of any I’ve had.”
The win bodes well for Bennett who already has his eyes on big targets for next year.
“It’s great for morale going in to next season. I really want a leadership role at Paris-Nice and the Giro d’Italia,” he said.
“And I’ll speak to the team in the next couple of weeks to plan out the season. But this has definitely got my spirits high going in to next year.”
Eduard Prades of Spain won the overall classification, with Ireland’s Nicolas Roche finishing in 10th.
