'If he wants to win, he wins...' - George Bennett on the realities of a Pogacar Vuelta

Every Grand Tour is an odyssey of sorts, with the peloton is buffeted by all kinds of external forces on its journey across the three weeks. But along with the usual vagaries of rain, hail and shine, riders on this Vuelta a España face another complication that could have been lifted from Homer: their plans here are also contingent on the whims of a supernatural being.

Stage 6 to Castelló was a case in point. At the start in Alcossebre, riders of the calibre of Wout van Aert and Eddie Dunbar spoke hopefully of a break going the distance, and the rugged terrain certainly lent itself to determined escapees.

But this Vuelta is a Tadej Pogačar joint. If he sneezes, the peloton catches a cold. And if he wants to win the stage, the peloton knows there is no point in arguing the case. A break of strongmen reached the final climb of the Puerto El Bartolo with a lead of more than two minutes, but UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s brisk pace-making already pointed to the direction of travel. 

Pogačar duly attacked on El Bartolo and although a defiant Enric Mas (Movistar) pushed him closer than anyone anticipated, the Slovenian racked up his third stage win of this Vuelta. On this form, Pogačar could add plenty more if the mood takes him.

George Bennett (NSN) was among the hopefuls in Thursday’s escape, but before the stage got under way, he acknowledged the reality of trying to chase a stage win on this Vuelta. Pogačar calls the tune, and everyone else can only hope that there are days when he just doesn’t feel like dancing.

“It’s absolutely that. I think what we’re kind of hoping for or gambling on is, how does he want to win? Does he want to win every stage? Does he want to keep the jersey the whole way?” Bennett said. 

“I think maybe there’s an element of hoping that he’s saving a bit for the Worlds. Everything we’re playing for is based on him not really being arsed to win the stage with future goals in mind, if you know what I mean. But if he wants to win, he wins…”

Pogačar already holds a commanding lead atop the overall standings thanks to his crushing solo victory in Andorra on stage 4. Felix Gall’s Decathlon CMA CGM squad surprised by taking the race to UAE on the Port d’Envalira, but there was nothing to be done against Pogačar. 

“There was nobody was staying on them,” said Bennett, an Andorra resident. “I mean, I know those climbs. I know the times he did up those hills. There’s not a man in the cycling world that was staying with him. And it didn’t matter how many of the strong guys were there to work. It was so hard, so steep, high altitude – not a chance.”

Bennett witnessed Pogačar’s otherworldly talent firsthand when he spent two years in his service at UAE, of course, and he had another close look during this year’s Tour de Romandie, when he attempted to follow one of his old teammate’s accelerations.

“It’s a version of scoring an own goal,” Bennett laughed. “I remember Romandie this year, I tried to go with him for the first sort of three or four minutes. I was better when he was on my wheel and he said go hard and then I could swing off and go easy and he went fast. It’s tough, and I think you kind of adjust your goals. I think everybody adjusts their goals and it’s now a case of, well, third’s great as well.”

After riding the Tour de France in July, Bennett was a late call-up to NSN’s Vuelta line-up, and no rider lined up at the start in Monaco with more racing kilometres (9,988) in his legs than the New Zealander. This is the fourth time he has combined the Tour and Vuelta, but the unplanned nature of this appearance meant that the opening days were a struggle.

“Andorra was a bit of a shock for me, I guess,” Bennett said. “In the past, I’ve been really good here after the Tour, but that was not on the back of a full, full season. I think I’m in the 70s for race days already.

“I also knew I was doing the Vuelta the other times, whereas this time I thought I was training for the Worlds in six weeks or so. But I’ve been bad in races before and then had a good day, so you’ve got to stay optimistic, because as soon as you lose the head, it’s game over.”

The New Zealand champion’s presence in the break on stage 6 was a positive sign on that score, and there will be more opportunities to get up the road between here and Granada, despite Pogačar’s appetite. 

Bennett’s own appetite is certainly still intact. His current deal with NSN expires at the end of this year, but he confirmed to Domestique that he will still be in the peloton in 2027. “I’ll be racing bikes, yeah,” he said. Where? “Can’t say,” he smiled. 

Fifteen years on from his debut at RadioShack, Bennett's odyssey continues.