‘It’s quite nice after a few difficult years’ – Sam Bennett takes fourth stage win to wrap up overall honours in Dunkirk
Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale's Sam Bennett celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the sixth stage and overall title of the Four Days of Dunkirk. Photo: Getty
Sam Bennett became only the second Irishman to win the prestigious Four Days of Dunkirk stage race when he sprinted to his fourth stage victory at the end of the six-day race in France today.
Bennett edged out Sasha Weemaes (Bingoal), Pascal Ackermann (Israel-Premier Tech) and the rest of a heaving peloton to claim his fourth win of the week after his Decathlon-Ag2r La Mondiale team-mates kept things under control for the final sprint.
The Carrick-On-Suir sprinter now joins compatriot Stephen Roche (1990) on the list of overall winners in Dunkirk, having dominated the race throughout the week.
Back in fine form after a tough training block in preparation for the Tour de France, Bennett was never out of the top three over the six days, finishing third on day one and only being pipped in a photo finish on day four.
“The flow is back,” said Bennett afterwards. “I might need a bit more top end power, but it is progressing. It’s quite nice after a few difficult years. I just want to thank the team again, they were fantastic.”
On top of the four stage wins, Bennett goes home with the pink jersey of race winner, after finishing 38 seconds clear of Frenchman Paul Penhoet (Groupama FDJ), with Belgian Jenno Berckmoes (Lotto-Destiny) third at 41 seconds. Bennett also took home the green jersey of points classification garnering over double the points of nearest rival Milan Menten of Cofidis.
He will now do a block of training in Monaco before heading to Criterium Dauphine in preparation for a return to the Tour De France in July.
“I need a good hard race beforehand for preparation and hopefully I get the selection.”
Meanwhile in Holland, women’s national road race champion Lara Gillespie took a superb victory in the Antwerp Port Epic ladies classic.
The Wicklow woman, riding for the UAE Development Team, sprinted home at the head of an eight-strong front group to claim the biggest victory of her career ahead of Zoe Backstedt of Canyon SRAM and Babette Van Der Wolf of Lifeplus-Wahoo.
“There were a few attacks but I didn’t jump I trusted that it would come back and there would be a sprint,” Gillespie said afterwards. “With 200m to go I saw that Zoe was about to start her sprint, so I jumped the other way and made a move.
“I felt really good today and I loved every single moment of it, the off-road sections and the chaos. As a team we were perfect, everyone was at the front all day long. It was super. The best I’ve ever seen us. I’m really happy.”
Elsewhere, Tadej Pogacar secured his fourth victory of this Giro d’Italia as he breezed to a commanding win on stage 15.
The queen stage of the Giro posed 222km of tarmac alongside more than 5,000 metres of climb but that did not seem the faze the Slovenian, who blew the field away in convincing fashion from Manerba del Garda to Livigno.
After tracking down everyone in his sights, Nairo Quintana was the only one ahead of Pogacar and was finally caught on the steep climb with 2km left, and proceeded to lose a further half a minute by the finish line.
Two minutes later, EF Education-EasyPost rider Georg Steinhauser, who was also a solo leader until the penultimate climb, came home to take the final spot on the podium in third. Pogacar's stunning triumph has given him a lead of six minutes and 41 seconds ahead of Welshman Geraint Thomas as he closes in on his maiden Giro d’Italia title.
