‘If he wins another stage then I'll be worried’: Sam Bennett wary of Wout van Aert in race for green jersey at Tour de France 2020 

Sam Bennett says he’s not worried about Wout van Aert in the green jersey competition, unless he wins another stage.  

Deceuninck - Quick-Step’s sprinter Bennett spent the first week of the race chasing his first Tour de France stage victory and points in the sprinter’s classification, which saw him wear green for two days. 

Bennett’s biggest challenge in the points classification has come from Peter Sagan (Bora-Hangsrohe), the seven-time winner of the competition who currently holds the lead, but the Bennett is aware of the potential threat posed Van Aert. 

The Jumbo-Visma all-rounder has taken two sprint victories in the race so far and is currently third in the points classification, but he is not currently targeting the green jersey as he is instead working to support his team-mate Primož Roglič in the general classification battle. 

Bennett said he is not yet worried about a challenge from Van Aert, unless a third stage victory brings the Belgian a step closer to wearing green in Paris. 

Speaking during the first rest day of the Tour, Bennett said: “It's early days, he's won two stages and he is is definitely capable winning another. 

“That team could find themselves out of the yellow jersey in one or two stages - not saying it will happen but it can happen and it does happen quite often in the Tour - so then you could see him changing his approach to each stage and maybe going for his own goals. At the moment, it doesn't look like he has any interest. 

“At the moment I'm not too worried, but if he gets another stage then I will be.” 

Sagan currently leads the points classification on 138 points, with Bennett close behind on 131. 

After his two stage victories, Van Aert is third on 111 points with the potential for another 50 points on offer if he can take another stage. 

But currently Van Aert is committed to working for his team, not contesting the intermediate sprints and sticking at the front late into the mountain stages.

Bennett has not yet achieved his main target for this year’s Tour, sprint victory on one of the rare opportunities in the 2020 edition. 

He came within inches of the win on stage three from Nice to Sisteron when Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal) weaved his way through to take an almost impossible win, while Bennett then finished third on the road from Gap to Privas. 

>>> Tour de France 2020: On-bike footage shows moment AG2R rider crashes and has to borrow Julian Alaphilippe’s bike 

Bennett added: “I've come here to try and get a stage.  Even the day I got the green...I was really happy to get green, but we didn't win the stage and then we lost yellow, so it's been mixed feelings. I'm still dreaming about that stage win.  

“I haven't completed anything I came here to do. So, the pressure is still on.”  

The battle between the sprinters is expected to continue the day after the rest day on stage 10, with a 168.5km pan-flat day from île d'Oléron to île de Ré.