Sam Bennett wins again to take yellow jersey in Paris-Nice

Ireland's Sam Bennett has won the first stage of the prestigious Paris - Nice cycling race.

Ireland's Sam Bennett celebrates as he crosses the finish line at the end of the 1st stage of the 79th Paris - Nice cycling race, 166 km between Saint-Cyr-lEcole and Saint-Cyr-lEcole. Photo by Bas Czerwinski / AFP via Getty Images)

Sam Bennett has continued Ireland's love-affair with Paris Nice after he won Sunday's opening stage in stunning fashion and claimed the first race leader's yellow jersey of the 2021 contest.

The green jersey and double stage winner from last year's Tour de France blitzed a stacked field at the end of a nervous 169-kilometre contest that started and finished in the town of Saint-Cyr-L’École, just outside the French capital.