It has been a long and challenging season for George Bennett, one he may well be happy to see in the rear-view mirror, but it’s not quite over yet.
The UAE Team Emirates rider is currently tackling his last race of 2022, the eight-stage Tour de Langkawi, and here there is still potential that he may find something worth salvaging from the year. Bennett is heading into the pivotal Genting Highlands stage among the favourites.
"Tomorrow is definitely the best stage for me out of the race," Bennett told Cyclingnews before the start of stage 2 in Kuala Klawang. "There is another climb on stage 7 but I think tomorrow is obviously the day that decides the race."
Genting Highlands has a history of being make or break for the overall in the long-running Malaysian event and Bennett has the support of his team – now sole GC leader after Rui Costa had to leave the race with an illness on stage 1.
Still, given the year he has had it perhaps should not be surprising that he wasn’t exactly talking up his form for Thursday’s 123.7km stage 3, with two second-category climbs near the start of the race followed by an hors-category double to take it to the Genting Highlands finish line.
"I am not feeling good actually," said Bennett. "I'm really tired – I've been tired for a long time. I've been on the road an unbelievable amount the back half of the year."
"When I got COVID at the Tour [before stage 10] I didn't have many race days because I was off the bike for a month sick in the spring, and obviously it took me all the way to the Tour to get going again, and then after getting COVID there I tried to make up for the race days."
That meant a block from the end of July that included the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon, the Donostia San Sebastián Klasikoa, Circuito de Getxo, Tour de l'Ain, Deutschland Tour, GPs de Montreal and Quebec, and then a block of three one day Italian races – the Coppa Agostoni, Giro dell'Emilia and Tre Valli Varesine – before heading over to Malaysia.
"It was just race, race, race and the last part I was just getting worse and worse and worse, so I really just need to rest now, said Bennett. "That's what I need more than anything."
There is now just one more race to get through, but is one more chance to end a low season on a high note. Bennett's teammate, sprinter Juan Sebastián Molano, had sprinted to victory on stage before his win was revoked due to irregular sprinting. The Colombian will have further chances later in the race, and for the GC, their hopes rest with Bennett.
"Every race is an opportunity, for sure and we are here now so I need to try and go with everything I can for tomorrow and see what happens, but it has been a crazy year with a lot of disappointments," said Bennett.
But this time if things don't go as Bennett and his team plan – as has been the case so many times this season – it will at least soon be time to close the chapter and instead write a new one.
"I'm obviously super motivated for next year," he said. "Once I have a break, restart I just need a clean run. Obviously missing the spring and then in the Tour you get. COVID – it doesn't get much worse than that – so I'm just really excited to get a season with a clean run, hopefully.
"I'd love to put the season behind me and look at the next one."
