Bennett blasts former team-mate for lack of support at World's

 

By Brian Canty

Ireland’s most promising rider Sam Bennett has launched a stinging attack on fellow professional Philip Lavery after the latter didn’t follow team orders and support him at the World Espoire (U23) cycling championships in Copenhagen last year.

Bennett was the Irish team’s protected rider at the race and as such, Lavery’s job, along with Felix English, who was the other Irish rider in the race, was to shield Bennett from the wind and guide him to the front of the race in the closing kilometres to set him up for the sprint.

Such a tactic is normal in a race where a bunch sprint is the expected outcome and with the Carrick-on-Suir youngsters renowned fast finish, it was hoped that he could contend with the best in Europe in the gallop for the line.

But that’s not how it panned out and Bennett ended up way down the peloton. He looks back on the experience with a sense of 'what might have been'.

"I really enjoyed the race but I regret not being more aggressive with team members,” blasted Bennett.

“Philip didn’t do his job at all. He really let me down that day. I haven’t spoken to him since and I don’t think I ever will after that.

"He knew what he was supposed to do. They (management) told him in advance of going there that he’s going to work for me. And all day long he was just playing to the cameras.

"At the start, he was up the front and attacking. He was supposed to be there helping me, taking the wind and guiding me through the final kilometres.

"Felix English was meant to do that as well but he was just having a bad day. In the final few kilometres, he (Lavery) should have been in front of me, taking the wind, helping to pace me up to the front and get me in a good position and I didn’t have his support and as you saw in the final kilometres I got pushed into the barriers because I was trying to move up by myself.

"He was there and he could have had me up there earlier and for longer. I never felt as good in a race. I was so confident and I knew what I had to do. I can’t say that I would, I don’t know what would have happened but I felt myself that I would’ve done something good."

Lavery and Bennett were team-mates at the An Post Sean Kelly team in Belgium last year but the former has since departed and is currently in the UK riding for the continental 'Node4Giordana' team under the watchful eye of former professional Malcolm Elliott.

Bennett also added that the team were better off without Lavery, as he only created friction within the team.

"Ya, you could see last year that there wasn't good morale when he was around, unlike now where everyone gets on. I'd do anything in a race for another one of the lads because I know they'd do the same for me but that just wasn't the way when Philip was in the team. I don't know why he does that, burning his bridges, you can't do that in cycling because the first question a manager who might be interested will ask Sean is what kind of guy is he?"

"It's a much happier place with him gone."

 

Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/M9WGmEXWm0g/post.aspx

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