It takes two to achieve this Grand Tour glory
The tour de force woman who helped cyclist Sam get to the top
WHEN Sam Bennett gave the heart-warming tearful interview that endeared him to a nation on Tuesday, moments after achieving a lifelong dream in winning a stage of the Tour de France, he had special mention for his wife.
Last November, Bennett tied the knot with fellow Carrick-on-Suir native Tara Fogarty in Cobh Cathedral before a reception in the nearby Castlemartyr resort.
Tara has long been known as Bennett’s No.1 supporter, and had been a fixture as he tackled the Grand Tours (cycling’s big three races of Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana) in the past. However, as Bennett underlined his status as one of the best sprinters in the world over the past fortnight in France, Tara has been forced to watch from afar because of the coronavirus restrictions.
The pair live in Monaco for most of the year, as it is conducive to Bennett’s schedule. However, in March, following Bennett’s return from the Tour of UAE which was suspended, they made a decision to come back to Carrick-on-Suir, where they also have a house.
‘Things were getting more tense in France, and Monaco is quite close to Northern Italy, which was the epicentre,’ Bennett explained in an interview with our sister paper the Irish Daily Mail a few months ago. ‘We thought it would be better to be in the house here in Carrick, rather than a one-bedroom apartment in Monaco, where we would be climbing the walls.’
During the more severe period of lockdown, Bennett was confined to the house, as he had been in a number of different countries competing, and it was up to Tara to go to the shops for provisions.
‘For health reasons I’ve stayed away from my parents, I just wouldn’t risk it. Tara has been going to the shops, wearing the gloves, throwing them out, hand sanitisers and everything else. It’s bad if we get it, but I wouldn’t like to be responsible for anyone else getting it.’
On Tuesday, Bennett became the second Irish cyclist in history to win a stage on all three Grand Tours, after Shay Elliott, and only the sixth Irishman to win a Tour de France stage. He goes into the final week in France, 42 points ahead of Peter Sagan in the race for the green jersey (the rider with the highest points total) – won by fellow Carrick-on-Suir native Seán Kelly four times in the 1980s.
‘I’ve stayed away from my parents… I can’t risk it’