Irish sprinter Sam Bennett will finally make his long-anticipated return to the Tour de France this summer, four years after he last took part in cycling’s biggest stage race.
Bennett, 33, will form part of the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale lineup for the Tour, it was confirmed on Monday, in a squad that has both GC and stage win ambitions.
Austrian Felix Gall, the winner of the ultra-difficult Col de la Loze stage in last year’s Tour will be seeking to build on his eighth place overall in 2023, while recently crowned French National Champion Paul Lapeira is also down to make his debut in the race.
Surprisingly, Benoît Cosnefroy is missing from the roster of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale this July, as he prefers to prepare for the Olympic Games without racing the Tour first. It will be the first time Cosnefroy, the winner of six races this season, has not taken part in his home Grand Tour since 2018.
Bennett’s confirmation for the Tour sees the Irishman return to a race where he claimed two stage wins and the points jersey in 2020. However, he was not selected in 2021 by his then team, Deceuninck-QuickStep and a return to former squad Bora-Hansgrohe in 2022 and 2023 again saw him miss out on the Tour.
Having switched to Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, Bennett took a stunning four stage wins and the overall at the 4 Jours de Dunkerque. He also narrowly missed out on claiming a victory in the opening leg of the Critérium du Dauphiné and is now confirmed for the Tour.
“I'm delighted to return to the Tour de France after a four-year absence,” Bennett said in a team press release. “I'd like to thank the team for this incredible opportunity. Coming back to the Grande Boucle with a French team is a special feeling. To win a stage for this team in the world's greatest race would be even more special! ”
“I've got plenty of time to get into the race, as the start is hilly. Nevertheless, every stage is important, the first opportunity will come after the opening weekend, and I hope to be ready for that. There should be eight massive sprints with lots of contenders. I'm looking forward to the fight."
In a roster packed with one-day racers and breakaway talent, 2020 Tour de France Pyrenean stage winner Nans Peters will be taking part, along with Classics specialists Dorian Godon and Oliver Naesen. Decathlon have selected Bruno Armirail to defend their interests in the time trial stages. Armirail conquered the French National Time Trial title for a second time in his career last Thursday, briefly led the Giro d’Italia last year and came within a whisker of clinching a Critérium du Dauphiné stage in an uphill finish just a few weeks ago.
After a dramatic uptick in victories this year, with 26 to date compared to 9 for the whole 2023, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale will face considerably heightened expectations this summer in July, as they hunt for the 23rd stage win and more in their team history.
"We have a twofold objective going into this Tour de France” said team manager Vincent Lavenu. “Firstly, to confirm our performance last year in the overall classification with Felix Gall. Secondly, we're also looking for at least one stage win.”
“Sam Bennett will be one of our best chances in the sprint finishes, but we also have other riders capable of raising their arms. I'm thinking of Dorian Godon and Paul Lapeira who, in the event of a small group finish, can make their speed count.”
Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale for the 2024 Tour de France
- Bruno Armirail
- Sam Bennett
- Felix Gall
- Dorion Godon
- Paul Lapeira
- Oliver Naesen
- Nans Peters
- Nicolas Prodhomme
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