Sam Bennett has been announced as part of the Bora-hansgrohe team to line up at the 100th edition of the Giro d’Italia which starts on the 5th of May.
It will mark the Irish rider’s first start at the Italian Grand Tour having taken part in two Tours de France to-date. Lining up alongside Bennett will be Jan Barta, Cesare Benedetti, Patrick Konrad, José Mendes, Gregor Mühlberger, Matteo Pelucchi, Lukas Pöstlberger and Rudi Selig.
The race starts in Alghero, Sardinia with a flat 203-kilometre stage to Olbia which will offer the Irish sprinter an opportunity at a stage win and also the possibility of pulling on the first pink jersey of the race. The opening week in Sardinia and Sicily will provide more opportunities for the fast men with stages three, five and seven all considered flat.
Other sprinters announced on the provisional start list for the Giro include Fernando Gaviria (Quick Step Floors), André Greipel (Lotto-Soudal), Caleb Ewan (Orica-Scott) and Elia Viviani (Team Sky).
Bennett has taken two wins so far this season including Stage 3 of Paris–Nice, where he finished ahead of the likes of Alexander Kristoff, John Degenkolb, Marcel Kittel, Michael Matthews, Arnaud Demare, and Andre Greipel in a sprint finish. He also won Towards Zero Race Melbourne back in January.
Bennett will start Eschborn-Frankfurt ‘Rund um den Finanzplatz’ next Monday (1 May) in his final preparation race before travelling to Sardinia for the start of the Giro.
Bora-hansgrohe Giro d’Italia team:
Jan Barta
Cesare Benedetti
Sam Bennett
Patrick Konrad
José Mendes
Gregor Mühlberger
Matteo Pelucchi
Lukas Pöstlberger
Rudi Selig
