SAINT-CYR-L’ÉCOLE (France): Irish ace Sam Bennett won the first stage of Paris-Nice on Sunday.
It was a fourth stage win in that race for Bennett as he left 2019 World Champion Mads Pedersen in second place, while Frenchman Arnaud Demare finished third after his lead man fell during the run-in.
“I got into the right position 1km to go and just stayed calm and moved 150m to go,” said Bennett, who won two stages of the UAE tour in February.
Bennett’s strength left his rivals behind and with two more sprints expected for the eight-day run to Nice, the 2020 Tour de France sprint jersey winner looks even stronger this season.
There was bad news for Ineos when Richie Porte retired 30km from the finish on the first leg of his first race after returning to Dave Brailsford’s team.
The second leg on Monday is a 188km route from Oinville-sur-Montcient outside Paris to Amilly, while the 1,200km event known as the ‘Race to the Sun’ begins its long journey south.
