Sam Bennett

“In the cycling world I am... okay, it sounds arrogant, but I am pretty high up. And I am a good athlete. But it is not recognised in Ireland.”

“The green jersey is more about being consistently up, every day, and three parts really.”

“You could go out on a Sunday spin in Carrick-on-Suir, and it's a small town, but you could have 80 riders. That wouldn't even be everyone, in the group. It's just such a good environment to bring guys through, the support and the experience.”

“I think you just have to accept there is pressure, that's part of the moment. I suppose when you have that pressure it means that it really means something to you, so you just have to embrace it.”

“What I've found in the last few tours is that it takes a week to hit the body. You're still on a high and your body gets into a rhythm. So, you almost have to de-train off it and keep riding the bike for a few days before you take a while off.”

“I know I am a good rider, but sometimes I don't see myself as a big rider.”

“Paris in green or a stage win, tough one. I never really thought about the green until I was wearing it. It's something special to wear.”

“Carrick has a big cycling culture and I would compare it to the Isle of Man in the UK.”

“Third Irishman to wear the green jersey, after 31 years, that's very special for me, and I'm focused on keeping it.”

“Riding for QuickStep was a dream of mine from an early age. I couldn't let this opportunity go.”

“I'd have moments when I'd show potential, but I could never get a good period where I'd string some form together and get results. It was up and down the whole time and I was getting frustrated.”

“I know when the racing starts everything will calm down and the legs will be there. It's in the days before you have to keep your mind occupied.”

“As long as your work remains unwritten in your head, it has no effect on anyone. Except you. And not in a good way. Once you let your idea out of the hermetically sealed vault of your brain and out into the fresh air, it will immediately start to evolve. The minute you get it down on a piece of paper, it will change.And once you let it out of the house — once someone else gets to experience it — everything is changed.You are changed. The project is changed. The audience is changed.That’s the alchemy of art.”

“I started racing when I was 14 and remember guys like Denis Dunne and Martin Hanrahan dropping me by 10 minutes.”

“I always say my three dream wins would be San Remo, Champs-Elysees, and World Championships.”

“It is funny, I have the ability to win a stage in the Tour de France and I do win races that are the same category, WorldTour.”

“The Champs-Elysees is like the world championships for sprinters.”

“Whenever I'm sick or injured, I go into a bubble and shut myself off.”

“Early in the season, you're going into races feeling confident because you've done the work and that confidence gives you an extra five or 10 per cent.”