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.

Coming into the race as the hot favourite to win, Bennett proved his class once again on the slightly uphill finish that featured many of the world's best riders.

“The guys did a fantastic job again,” he said of his Deceuninck-QuickStep teammates afterwards.

“We were a little blocked in the last 15 kilometres and the nature of the sprint here with the straight roads...oh it was chaotic, and then the narrowing in the last 500m made it very, very tricky.” 

The Carrick-on-Suir rider said recently that his team have “nailed” the art of the leadout in such tense finales, and they proved that again here.

“We planned to get me into position and the boys delivered me on a wheel rather than doing a full lead out to 150-200 metres to go.

“They put me on the wheel at 1k to go. Michael (Morkov) again was just so calm. You never see him stressed and he always seems to get me there.” 

Bennett came off the wheels of those ahead of him, glanced across at another favourite Arnaud Demare and Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe) and powered past them.

He took a clear win, with time to celebrate ahead of Demare and former world champion Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo).

The result means it’s first blood to Bennett over Démare in the pair’s first meeting of the season, having been the two most impressive sprinters of 2020.

“I'm really happy and I'm happy to finish the job off. I was a bit worried how my legs would be coming back here after the UAE Tour last month. I thought the legs wouldn't be there, but I'm really happy my shape is good.” 

It's the first time an Irishman has worn the leader's jersey at Paris Nice since 7-time winner Sean Kelly did so back in 1988, and compatriot Stephen Roche in 1981.

Though Bennett has little chance to win the race outright given the hilly terrain, he will wear the yellow jersey on Monday and push for another stage win as it's a largely flat route.