WEARING THE GREEN JERSEY: The Magnificent Victory of Sam Bennett

In a year be-deviled by bad news and with life, in general, undergoing a reset on so many levels, there was something reassuring for some of us when the Tour de France – the world’s biggest annual sporting event – actually went ahead, virus-or-no-virus-permitting. It just goes to show how valuable a spectacle it remains, and how deeply the event still resonates, with the French psyche as much as the roadside fans, and that it managed to happen at all.

And for an Irishman to wear the Green Points Winner’s Jersey into the Champs-Elysee, to take the top step of the sprinter’s podium, is nothing short of magnificent. We have been all scrambling to salvage some degree of comfort, some excitement and some positive memories amid the global pandemic. For a cycling fan like me, but also to anybody who appreciates the value of perseverance, resilience and bloody determination, in any walk of life, Bennett’s story is what we all need. It is also a story for all ages, following an edition of the great race that will also go down in history as one of the very best: the ‘September’ Tour that produced a 21-year-old Slovenian champion, an incredible climax in the Vosges Mountains, and a Green Jersey returning to Ireland, to Carrick-On-Suir, 31 years after the legendary Sean Kelly last did so.

Hard Years In The Making

I appreciate that many people have never heard of Sam Bennett before now. And I could not do justice in writing to his remarkable journey to the top of his profession. Instead, I can only point you to a fantastic and beautifully detailed outline by Ian O’Riordan of The Irish Times, shortly after Sam won Stage 10 into I’le-De-Re. It fills in many gaps, especially the personal and professional trials he has undergone in the past 10 years and is a magnificent read. Among the points to note is the observation of his mother Helen, who according to O’Riordan, noticed that at ‘aged just seven months, there was something about his natural balance and the strength of his legs already signalling him out, a career which has seen lots of tears of pride and despair along the way, long before Bennett got in on the act himself.’  I reckon lots of doting parents, those with sporting leanings particularly, all look for these signs of precocious talent in their offspring. The percentage who eventually go on to major success is of course minuscule. Not that any parent thinks of the figures at the time. Not that any of it matters in Carrick-On-Suir today

Lessons Worth Observing

Three lessons come to mind for me about Sam Bennett’s success. First of all, regardless of what Sam would achieve in his Leaving Cert in Comeragh College, he is the cycling equivalent of a 600-point plus student. He is gifted in his own way, far beyond the confines of a classroom. This was thankfully noticed, nurtured and promoted by some key people in his youth. Gifted children come in a variety of packages: may they always be noticed.

Secondly, rarely if ever does success in life come naturally. In most cases, hard work is needed to augment any degree of talent or privilege. The sport of cycling, as I have mentioned on a number of occasions, serves as a useful metaphor for how suffering and self-denial can eventually bring fulfilment and self-actualization. It is a brutally tough sport but those who persevere, like Sam, often serve as good examples of this principle.

Thirdly, so much in life does depend on successfully working with others. There is no doubt that Sam owes a huge debt to his teammates, all seven of whom have committed to his cause to win the Green Jersey. That they overcame his previous team (BORA) and their 3-time World Champion Peter Sagan, given that BORA deliberately prevented Sam from riding the Tour since 2017, makes it all the sweeter. It is a reminder that if we are working in a toxic environment, where we are not fully respected, then we don’t simply have to put up with it forever. Incidentally, it is notable that the number of people in my profession, teaching, who remain in the same job in spite of workplace strife and discord, is quite high. Perhaps teachers seem to tolerate bad atmospheres, bad management and bad attitudes more often than not? But regarding the cycling, it has been the best decision in his life for Sam to join a different team this year (Deceuninck-Quick Step) under the management of the wily old Belgian Patrick Lefevre; putting faith, and the cheque book, into Sam Bennett has worked out well for everybody. And don’t we all like a bit of natural justice every now and then…

I am delighted for Sam Bennett. I am delighted to see cycling on television again. And I am delighted in general. Right now, that is a good way to be.