Sam’s the man as Irish enjoy a victory double

Sam Bennett celebrates in the Ireland national champion’s jersey after winning stage three of the Vuelta into Alicante

Bora-Hansgrohe rider Bennett briefly looked to be out of position on the final approach to the line on the harbourside in Alicante.

But once the 28-year-old turned on the power nobody was able to keep up and he took a comfortable victory.

Ed Theuns (Trek-Segafredo) and Luka Mezgec (Mitchelton-Scott) came in second and third as Bennett laid down a marker in the first sprint of the race after looking off the pace a day earlier.

“I can’t tell you how relieved I am with that,” he said. “I felt so bad yesterday. I can’t tell you how bad I was on the stage.

“Thanks to the team I could relax and follow them and trust in them, and they got me in the right place at the right time to make my effort. If it wasn’t for the team today I wouldn’t have got it.

“I’m delighted. It means a lot to get another Grand Tour victory, especially in the Irish national champion’s jersey. I’m very proud to wear it.”

The sprint finish meant no change to the general classification, in which Team Sunweb’s Roche leads by two seconds from Nairo Quintana of Movistar after finishing second to the Colombian on stage two.

It was Bennett’s first career Vuelta stage victory and fourth in a Grand Tour after his star turn at last year’s Giro d’Italia. He has been in outstanding form this season, with yesterday being his 12th victory, yet he confirmed on the eve of theVuelta that he still did not have a contract for next season.