Sam Bennett: I had such bad legs, I thought I wouldn't be able to sprint

Sam Bennett got up on Sunday morning convinced that a third stage victory on this Giro d'Italia was beyond him. Three weeks of racing – from Israel to the Alps, by way of Sicily and the Zoncolan – had taken their toll on the Irishman. "When I woke up this morning, I had such bad legs, man. I thought I wouldn't be able to sprint," Bennett said after overpowering Elia Viviani in Rome to claim the honours.

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Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.