Penalty denies Bennett stage win
IRELAND’S Sam Bennett crossed the line first only to be subsequently relegated to last place on stage nine of La Vuelta a Espana.
The finish to the 157- kilometre stage from Castrillo del Val to Aguilar de Campoo saw the Deceuninck- Quickstep rider appear to claim victory after surging past German Pascal Ackermann ( Bora- Hansgrohe).
But following analysis of an incident where Bennett made contact with Emils Liepins ( Trek- Segafredo) with his shoulder, the 30- yearold’s sprint was deemed irregular and he was relegated.
“It was slightly uphill and a headwind,” Bennett said before he was penalised. “But we had to come from behind at speed.
“There was a big fight with some guys who nearly put us in the barriers trying to take the wheel, so it was a bit sketchy trying to stay upright.”
A message posted by DeceuninckQuickstep’s official Twitter account said: “After a complaint from another team – whose rider tried to barge into Sam Bennett’s train, who defended his position – Sam has been relegated by the race commissaires.”
It would have been a second stage victory of this year’s race for Bennett – winner of two stages at the Tour de France last month – to add to his triumph on stage four.
While Ackermann was promoted to first, with Gerben Thijssen ( Lotto Soudal) second and Max Kanter ( Sunweb) third, there was no change at the top of the general classification.
Leader Richard Carapaz ( Ineos Grenadiers) of Ecuador remains 13 seconds clear of Slovenian defending champion Primoz Roglic ( Jumbo- Visma), with Irishman Dan Martin ( Israel Start- Up Nation) third and Briton Hugh Carthy ( EF Pro Cycling) fourth, at 28 and 44 seconds respectively.