Sam Bennett wins Classic Brugge-De Panne

Ireland’s Sam Bennett has won the Classic Brugge-De Panne in a sprint finish.

The Deceuninck-Quickstep rider saw off Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) and Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe) in the final 250m to claim his first one-day victory of the season.

“It’s super important to get this win,” Bennett told reporters.

“Being in a Belgian team with Belgian sponsors, we want to perform on home soil. For myself, personally, it’s my first one-day WorldTour race – something I’ve been chasing for many years and I’m happy to get it here today.

“He [Philipsen] jumped early but I could feel there was a bit of a headwind so I decided to wait longer and then go,” Bennett said. “I don’t focus on anybody else around me, I was just doing my own sprint.”

The win is Deceuninck-QuickStep’s second classic of the season after Davide Ballerini won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

Cover Photo: Peloton by www.instants-cyclistes.fr used under license by CC BY-SA 2.0.