Sam Bennett was compelled to retire from the Tour de France during the 17th stage on Wednesday, following his finest performance in the race to date. The Irish cyclist, who had been suffering from sickness for multiple days, struggled at the chaotic commencement of Wednesday’s stage. Riding solo and unwell, he risked getting disqualified by failing to meet the race’s time cut off.
After cycling for 90km, Bennett conceded and halted by the roadside, six minutes behind the other cyclists at the time, visibly exhausted. It marked a disappointing close to the Tour de France for Bennett, who had been eagerly anticipating the final stage in Nice, which takes place on Sunday. Residing in nearby Monaco for a significant portion of the year, Bennett would’ve viewed the final stage as a personalised homecoming of sorts.
The disappointment is further deepened by the achievement of Tuesday’s stage, his best-ranking yet in the race. Building on prior sixth and ninth placements during the tour, Bennett finished fourth in the Nîmes sprint. This was the final sprint stage of the tour.
Tuesday evening, Bennett expressed, “I’ve had a rough time since last Saturday, and the rest day didn’t do much for my recovery. Today was challenging. I navigated the day step by step and persevered to achieve the best result that I could.”
Despite his disappointment with his fourth-place finish, considering his overall physical condition in the past few days, Bennett expressed satisfaction with his performance. He shared plans to assist his teammates in the subsequent stages.
Bennett previously participated in the race in 2020 where he clinched victory in two stages along with the green jersey. Although his performance this year didn’t quite match the success of the previous year, he believes the lengthy race will assist him in building form for the remainder of the season.
Looking ahead, his team intends to create a robust lead-out team for him in 2025, and Bennett remains hopeful for enhanced success in the upcoming Tour.