George Bennett: Maybe I didn't have the engine UAE Team Emirates needed

After two years at UAE Team Emirates, New Zealand climber George Bennett is on the move and, with a contract from Israel-Premier Tech in his back pocket, the 33-year-old is highly motivated to find his competitive edge.

Bennett slipped down the pecking order since joining UAE at the start of 2022, with injuries, illnesses and an incredibly stacked roster all playing their part. In this exclusive and honest interview with GCN, Bennett talks about what went wrong at UAE, his aims for the next two years, who is better between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar, and ‘that’ famous quote about Chris Froome from the 2018 Giro d’Italia.

Bennett’s move to UAE Team Emirates from Jumbo-Visma at the tail-end of 2021 was supposed to be a game-changer between the two teams when it came to the battle between super domestiques in the Grand Tours. At the time, UAE needed another expert climber to support Pogačar in the high mountains, and where better to shop for one than at their arch rivals, Jumbo-Visma. It was a move that was aimed at shifting the scales in the Slovenian’s favour. Sadly for those concerned, the transfer didn't quite work out as hoped.

There were certainly some bright moments, such as a string of important cameos in shorter stage races and a handful of top-10s in small week-long races. However, with just one Grand Tour appearance in two years, and that ending in a COVID positive, Bennett’s disappointment is understandable given the high standards he sets for himself.

“Those last two years went really fast. I made a lot of really good friends at UAE, and there were some awesome moments, like being part of the Tour with Tadej last year but I was just so shit in terms of results,” the ever-honest Kiwi told GCN in a phone interview.

“It just didn’t work with what I needed to make me a good rider. It took a while at Jumbo to find out what I need, and I’m a good trainer, but it didn’t really work out for me at UAE. I really struggled with not being at 100 percent. I was still committed but when you’re not at 100 percent it was very frustrating on and off the bike.”

• Read more: George Bennett leaves UAE Team Emirates for Israel-Premier Tech

The exact reason for Bennett’s struggles at UAE Team Emirates are hard to pin to just one aspect. There were illnesses at the wrong times, changes of race programmes, but ultimately the 33-year-old found himself dropping down the pecking order as the team from the Gulf recruited the likes of Adam Yates, Marc Soler and Jay Vine.

"The vision I had and the rest of it, it just didn't line up and maybe I just didn’t have the engine needed when it came to what they wanted from me," he said.

"I did about 40 race days before Liège in my first year and only in a handful of them was I good. There are some really big talented riders who can handle all of that and the travel, and I have some talent, sometimes, but not the ability to handle some of that stuff.

"As much as I loved it, I still had frustrations with myself for not being a great rider. It just didn’t work for me. I don’t want to rag on the team, because it was awesome, and the guys were great, the staff too. I learned what I can’t do and my limitations. It wasn’t a wasted two years but I definitely didn’t perform how I wanted.

“Here’s the thing about UAE: you go to a race and there’s a good chance you’ll be with Adam Yates, Tadej, [Juan] Ayuso, or [João] Almeida. One of those is going to be a leader on any WorldTour team and one of those is at every single race. Then the next level down is [Marc] Hirschi and [Brandon] McNulty so it’s unbelievable the line up that they can put together.”

Looking for a better solution and a new team

As this season unfolded it became clear that Bennett and his agent would look for a new chapter in the rider’s career. UAE Team Emirates weren’t unhappy with Bennett’s performances but they weren’t knocking on the door to re-sign him either. There was interest from a number of teams, including Groupama-FDJ, Ineos Grenadiers, and Soudal Quick-Step, but once Israel-Premier Tech began to show interest Bennett was immediately leaning in their direction.

The team, with no disrespect intended, are not Jumbo-Visma or UAE Team Emirates, and their stock of climbing talent is nowhere near as deep. A move to the team would allow Bennett far more freedom in the latter years of his career, while also giving him the chance to race alongside a number of his frequent training buddies.

“The main reason was the people involved. I started hearing a lot about it because Sam Bewley is one of my best friends in the cycling world; he's now a director there,” Bennett said.

“He could tell me about the things they were doing on the team, and how they were on the up and then quite a few staff members I knew started to go there. Everyone was really positive about the team and then one day I was out training with Mike Woods and it all sounded unreal in terms of the culture and how I could fit. It felt like a real opportunity and it just lined up.

"It wasn’t actually an option until late on but once the team said that it might be an option we dropped tools and within a week it was done. They’re high performance with a caring environment.”

© Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images

George Bennett high-fives Tadej Pogačar at the 2022 Tour de France

It’s been a couple of years since Bennett has been allowed to even think about leadership or personal ambitions, such was the calibre of leader at UAE, but at Israel-Premier Tech there will be a huge opportunity for the New Zealander to race for himself.

For a rider who has been in and around the top 10 in Grand Tours on four separate occasions, it could lead to a co-captain position next season in a race such as the Giro d’Italia. At the very least, the experienced climber won’t be wasted in a mountain train that will leave him exhausted for the latter stages of major races.

“I’ll try and get results,” Bennett says when asked about what his aims are for next season.

“There will be times when I’m helping others, which I really enjoy, so the key draw is that the team wants to take opportunities. Look at their Giro, they rolled the dice and looked for results. We’re not doing big mountain trains, because there’s no point unless you’ve got Pogacar or Vingegaard at the end of them. It’s more about racing, and going against the odds.

"I know I’m making it sound all romantic but that’s the scrappy style of racing that I really like. I’m excited by the chance of being a good rider again.”

Riding with Chris Froome and the infamous Landis quote

The move to Israel-Premier Tech also sees Bennett join forces with Chris Froome for the first time. While there’s certainly no public animosity between the pair, they are linked by one of the more memorable quotes in recent cycling history.

Back in 2018, when Froome dropped the entire race on his way to victory in the Giro d’Italia, Bennett remarked at the finish that the British rider had "done a Landis". The fact that the video clip was produced by his own Jumbo-Visma team and posted to social media only made the incident even more entertaining.

“Yeah I know the quote that you mean,” Bennett said with a laugh.

“Look, a lot of the guys at the team are already my mates. There are Brits, Aussies, and Canadians. So I train with a lot of those guys. I’m sure me and Froome will have a laugh about it. If you look at his social media, it’s clear that Chris is a funny guy, and I’m pretty sure he’s good at taking a joke. I’m sure it will be fine.”

Although Bennett’s last two years at UAE Team Emirates may not have panned out as the rider had hoped, he still leaves the team with a number of fond memories. Not only that but he’s become one of the few riders in the peloton who has raced with both Pogačar and Vingegaard.

It begs the vital question, who is the better rider between the Dane and the Slovenian?

“That’s a discussion that I’ve had many times over beers with friends. Who is a better rider? Put it this way, Tadej is the only rider who can win the Tour of Flanders and the Tour de France but I guess the answer depends on how you define what a better rider means," he said.

"Who is better at the Tour de France? Well the last few years you have to say Jonas. But when it comes down to who is the better bike rider, I think it all depends on how you define cycling. I love the Tour, and it’s everything to me but it’s still pretty special to see a guy rock up to every single race and try and win.

"It’s an unanswerable question in many ways. I think I need another year before I answer your question."