Revved up Bennett at a loss to explain slump
George Bennett is riding on empty.
The illness that ended his Tour de France prematurely, dashing his top-10 dream, has hung around to spoil the next biggest race of the year, the Vuelta a Espana, and could yet cost him a place on the New Zealand team for next month’s road world championships.
Bennett said ‘‘I just suck’’ as he assessed his position on the first rest day.
After nine stages of the Vuelta, the LottoNL-Jumbo rider is 157th on the general classification standings. He is 1hr 34min 33sec behind leader Chris Froome and has struggled to keep up with the contenders on each stage.
‘‘There’s something seriously wrong. It’s not that I’m unfit, it’s just, well I just don’t know what it is actually,’’ he said.
‘‘When the selection is made I’m going out the a... with all the guys who have been working and the other people who are sick and struggling, and the race is happening ahead of me. I’m not even in the race, I’m just riding from A to B essentially and getting a few bottles along the way.’’
Bennett is unable to explain exactly why he has lost the form that saw him win the Tour of California and break into the top-10 at the Tour de France, although he suspects it is related to the illness that forced him to abandon the race and plagued his build-up.
The 27-year-old said he just does not have sufficient power in his legs, even if he is feeling healthy.
‘‘We started the race and the idea is that I would at least be healthy and ride into it but so far it hasn’t happened and I’m so far below my normal level.
‘‘The team time trial, I wasn’t too worried after that, but already on stage three to Andorra I was getting dropped by 50 to 60 guys, and I know it sounds a bit silly to say but when I’m just a little bit off, like I was hoping to be, I should still be able to get over with the first half of the peloton and that wasn’t happening.
‘‘If it was just lack of form I would be a lot better. Me unfit is a lot better than I am now so we’re just trying to work out if it’s some post-viral fatigue and I think maybe I was a little bit too motivated to come back to the Vuelta too soon and potentially pushed it after that virus and I think my mind was a little bit ahead of my body.’’
If Bennett is unable to complete the Vuelta, it could jeopardise his place in the time trial at next month’s world championships in Bergen, Norway.
‘‘When you put on the black jersey you want to represent it well and if there’s better guys for the job then I’ll be the first one to admit it,’’ he said.
‘‘The thing that is just so frustrating is it’s dragged on for so long now. It ruined the Tour, it ruined San Sebastian, it ruined the Vuelta and it is really hindering my worlds preparation and potentially the season. I had a really good season for most of it, but this just sucks really.’’
But Bennett was trying to stay positive, welcoming the first rest day and said ‘‘it is not over yet’’.
‘‘Miracles can happen on a rest day, I just need my body to start playing ball.’’