So close for Sam Bennett in Munich but his best may not be far away

SO CLOSE: Sam Bennett of Ireland crosses the line in fifth place as Fabio Jakobsen of Netherlands celebrates winning during the 28th UEC Road Cycling European Championships during day 4 of the European Championships 2022 in Munich, Germany. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

The course for the European Championship men’s road race stretched for 209.4 kilometres and all but the last 400 or so metres of it went just perfectly as far as Sam Bennett and Ireland’s hopes of a medal were concerned. It’s not that the final stretch was a disaster, just that one or two millisecond moments proved to be the difference between a win or a podium place and his eventual fifth-placed finish.

The slimmest of margins.