Cycling

Evenepoel strengthens grip on red jersey after Sam Bennett forced to withdraw from Vuelta with Covid-19

Irish sprinter had been in contention for green jersey but has become 15th rider to test positive in this year’s race

Team Bora's Irish rider Sam Bennett celebrates on the podium wearing the overall points leader's green jersey after the 7th stage of the 2022 Vuelta. Bennett has been forced to withdraw from the race with Covid. Photograph: Getty

Tue Aug 30 2022 - 14:13

Sam Bennett’s goal of winning the green jersey and adding to his two stage wins at this year’s Vuelta a España has been abandoned with the Irishman withdrawing from the race on Tuesday due to a positive Covid-19 test.

Bennett had been due to start the stage 10 time trial but was one of a number of riders who had to exit the Spanish race on Monday due to the illness.

His Bora-hansgrohe team announced the news on Twitter: “Sam Bennett returned a positive antigen test this morning, and also showed some symptoms. Therefore we decided that he wouldn’t start today’s stage.” He had tested negative in the compulsory testing carried out by the Vuelta on Monday, but started feeling unwell later on.

Teammate Ryan Mullen is the only Irishman now left in the race. He spent at least part of Monday with Bennett, and commented on his withdrawal: ”It’s shame for the team, Sam and myself. Sam is a great guy and he came back to his best form and unfortunately Covid has caught up to him.

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“It’s a massive shame. Sam is gonna be disappointed. He deserves to be here, he’s put the work in and he’s showed he’s back to his best. I’m sure he would have won the green jersey.”

[ Sam Bennett secures back-to-back Vuelta a España stage wins ]

Bennett is at least the 15th rider to retire from this year’s Vuelta a España due to positive Covid-19 tests. Two additional riders, the American Sepp Kuss and the Italian Edoardo Affini, have also exited due to what their Jumbo-Visma team referred to as a virus. It is not clear if they too contracted Covid-19.

Bennett will be deeply disappointed by what has happened. He spoke to The Irish Times by phone during Monday’s rest day, saying that he was encouraged by his victories on stages two and three, but even more so by his improving power readings plus his sensations that his form has been steadily building as the event continued.

”I think this race is going to be to race that gets me back to my [true] level. I seem to be getting better as I go through it, but I am not there yet,” he said on Monday.

Bennett had taken a complete break from training on the rest day, with riders normally preferring to ride for one to two hours to keep the system from seizing up. He said that he intended using the time trial to prepare his legs for Wednesday’s 11th stage, which is expected to end in a bunch sprint. Bennett had relished the thoughts of adding to the two victories he took earlier in this year’s race.

Bennett will already have felt frustration on Monday evening after the announcement that Cycling Ireland has decided not to send a team to this year’s road world championships in Australia. The federation cited the high costs of the trip as the reason behind the decision.

Bennett had told the Irish Times earlier this year that the world championships were a major goal, although the course did become more hilly in later revisions.

Remco Evenepoel strengthened his grip on the red jersey during Tuesday's time trail. Photograph: David Stockman/Belga Mag/AFP via Getty Images

Belgian Remco Evenepoel won stage 10 of the Vuelta on Tuesday, a 30.9 kilometre individual time trial from Elche to Alicante, with a superb time of 33 minutes and 18 seconds to strengthen his grip on the red jersey.

The 22-year-old team rider was a staggering 48 seconds faster than reigning champion Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) who came second ahead of Evenepoel’s Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team mate Remi Cavagna who was a minute slower than the winner.

Victory meant Evenepoel also became the first Belgian rider to win an individual time trial stage of La Vuelta since Fons De Wolf in Valladolid in 1979. Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke had won the prologue in Benidorm in 1987.

Evenepoel leads Roglic by 2:41 in the general classification with Enric Mas (Movistar) third overall at 3:03.

“I knew I had to push one power all the time because it was flat with a super-hard finish,” Evenepoel said.

“My legs were so heavy on the last bump. It was actually really hard, but super nice to win this time trial in the red jersey. It’s a nice feeling.

“Now we’re going to fight to try to win this Vuelta.”

In the absence of Bennett, Ryan Mullen was the only Irishman in action in yesterday’s time trial, finishing a respectable 53rd, four minutes and 25 seconds behind the winner.

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