The 2022 season marked Sam Bennett's 'homecoming' to Bora-Hansgrohe after two seasons away at QuickStep.
However, his first year back at the German squad didn't go quite to plan, with the Irish sprinter enduring a tough opening half to the season before missing out on Tour de France selection.
Bennett has described the season as "one of the most frustrating" of his career despite finishing the season strongly with two stage wins at the Vuelta a España, though his struggles have only motivated him more for the upcoming 2023 season, his 10th as a professional.
"It was fantastic to be back in the team. I'm really happy with my decision and the support the guys gave. It was incredible," Bennett said during Bora-Hansgrohe's press day earlier in the week.
"I think the most frustrating thing about this season was I had this amazing opportunity with this team with teammates, equipment, the whole structure around me, and I couldn't be at my best to make use of it.
"I think that was probably one of the most frustrating years of my career because it was there for me, and I couldn't make use of it. I think it was a frustrating year but, in the end, I got back up and running and I'm motivated for next season."
Bennett said that he's "back in the normal rhythm" of preparing for the new season now, but last off-season it was a different story.
He started out 2022 in promising fashion with two podium spots at the UAE Tour – "a bloody miracle" according to him – but wouldn't take a victory until May's Eschborn-Frankfurt classic.
"The main thing about this year is I finished good," he said. "Starting back with everybody else you're playing catch up and now it feels like a normal year again, because I had my offseason building up, the team camp everything's right and well. I'm just back in the normal rhythm.
"Last year, I didn't have the best pre-season and when I look back at UAE it's a bloody miracle that I got the podium there. I had nothing done, like really nothing done, and managed to get them. So, I can't really compare the physical side because they're just totally different levels.
"But everything's really on track now. It's about keeping it going really, just don't overthink it, because I've won before – it's just about going through the process of making sure I'm good, fit, healthy. And the team is here surrounding me and giving me the support, and the results will come."
Bennett was a notable omission from Bora-Hansgrohe's Tour de France squad in July. Danny van Poppel instead led the team's sprint hopes while Aleksandr Vlasov captured fifth on GC as Lennard Kämna hunted for stages.
"I was in denial," Bennett said about missing the Tour. "I believed I was going. I probably would've gotten better as the race went on. But if I was a team manager and I looked at the results and looked at the racing, I'd probably do the same thing. It's understandable.
"The main thing is that when I am going good the opportunity is there to take. In the end, it might have been the best decision this year because I got two stage wins in the Vuelta and was chasing green before I got sick. I was back to my old self.
"It's sport. You're going to have moments where you're disappointed, but you just keep going. It's just bike racing."
A familiar schedule for 2023
Bennett won the Tour's green jersey two years ago, also taking two stage wins including the finale in Paris at the pandemic-delayed edition.
He's racked up 10 wins since then, including three stages of the Vuelta and the Classic Brugge-De Panne, and he said that he's ready to head back to France and try for green once again next summer.
"I think it's possible. I did it before and there's no reason why I can't do it again," he said. "Everything seems to be coming back into place. I think I struggled getting some of my peak power this season, but it seems to just come when I build up my engine and do bigger endurance rides and train more like a Classics rider.
"It's weird – when I don't do specific sprint work and I just do normal training and get fit the power comes. I don't know why that is. When it was sprint work it just kind of stayed the same.
"So yeah, I think it's possible. There are eight sprints. Out of a possible eight sprints some might be hillier towards the end and trying to get there it's going to be hard, but I think I have to believe it as well. I wouldn't be the rider I am today if I didn't believe that I was able to do it. And it's not like I'm going into unknown territory where I didn't do it before I've done it. So why not?"
The road to the Tour will see Bennett hit familiar roads, with an early season schedule made up of races he has competed at in previous years. The Classics – at least some of the more sprint-friendly ones – are also on his hit list.
"It's normally pretty similar to what I normally do like. I start in Argentina, then UAE, Paris-Nice, and then the Classics that I can get up in like Milan-San Remo, De Panne, Gent-Wevelgem.
"I think some of the main targets then will be Tour de France again. I'd like to do two Grand Tours back-to-back to rebuild the engine again. But maybe ask me that on the second rest day in the Tour – I might have a different answer."
