George Bennett (cyclist)

3.1. Early Professional Period (2012-2014)

George Bennett began his professional career in 2012 by joining the RadioShack-Nissan squad. He competed with this team for two seasons. In 2013, he participated in the 2013 Giro d'Italia, finishing 122nd overall, and secured an eighth-place finish in the general classification at the 2013 USA Pro Cycling Challenge. For the 2014 season, Bennett transferred to Cannondale Pro Cycling. During this period, he notably finished 89th in the 2014 Vuelta a España and secured ninth place overall at the 2014 Tour of Utah.

3.2. Breakthrough and Key Victories (2015-2017)

In October 2014, it was announced that Bennett would join Team LottoNL-Jumbo for the 2015 season. In May 2015, he was unfortunately prevented from starting the 2015 Giro d'Italia due to low cortisol levels, which were later attributed to illness, in accordance with the rules of the Mouvement pour un cyclisme crédible (MPCC).

The year 2016 marked a significant period for Bennett. He was named in the start list for the 2016 Tour de France, where he finished 53rd overall. His most impressive performance in the Tour was a seventh-place finish on stage nine in Andorre Arcalis, considered one of the toughest stages that year. He described it as a "dream" to attack 30 kilometers from the line in front of millions of people. Following the Tour, Bennett competed in the Men's individual road race at the 2016 Summer Olympics, finishing 33rd in a race he described as "absolutely" the toughest of his career, with 79 riders failing to finish. He was then selected for the 2016 Vuelta a España as a support rider for Steven Kruijswijk. When Kruijswijk withdrew, Bennett stepped into the role of team leader. On stage 14, he joined the breakaway and secured fourth place in the mountainous stage to Col d'Aubisque, 31 seconds behind the stage winner Robert Gesink. He improved his overall standing to 10th in the general classification after finishing 25th in the stage 19 time trial, marking the highest ever placing for a New Zealander in a Grand Tour at the time. Bennett considered this season to have "started off reasonable and just got better and better," highlighting his tenth-place finish at the Vuelta as "pretty special."

In 2017, Bennett's season began with a setback as he contracted glandular fever, forcing him to miss the New Zealand National Road Race Championships and the Tour Down Under. However, he made a strong comeback, becoming the first New Zealander to win the general classification at a UCI World Tour cycling event by triumphing at the 2017 Tour of California. During this race, he finished second on the hilly stage 2, working alongside Rafał Majka to gain time on other competitors. He later placed third on stage 5, which concluded atop Mount Baldy, moving him into second place overall. The individual time trial on stage 6 proved decisive; Bennett finished fourth in the 15 mile ^{(24 km)} time trial, seizing the race lead with a 35-second advantage over Rafal Majka. He described the nervous moments as he awaited the final results. Bennett also competed in the 2017 Tour de France, finishing seventh on stage 9, but was forced to withdraw midway through stage 16 due to gastroenteritis. He returned to Girona to recover.

3.3. Grand Tour Performances and Team Support Roles (2018-2021)

The 2018 season saw George Bennett achieve his highest general classification result in a Grand Tour, finishing eighth overall in the 2018 Giro d'Italia. Despite this historic achievement for a New Zealander, Bennett expressed disappointment, stating, "I came here for a lot more than that. But that's all I could do in the end. I'll take it and it's better than 11th." Earlier in the season, he showed strong form with fourth place at the New Zealand National Road Race Championship, 11th at the 2018 Tour Down Under, ninth at 2018 Tirreno-Adriatico, and sixth at the 2018 Volta a Catalunya. In August, he finished fourth overall at the 2018 Tour de Pologne, 24 seconds behind winner Michał Kwiatkowski. Bennett also competed at the World Road Cycling Championships in Innsbruck, Austria, finishing 18th in the mountainous 165 mile ^{(265 km)} race. He praised his New Zealand teammates for their support in what was a "super-hard" race from the start.

In 2019, Bennett competed in the 2019 Tour of California, securing third place on stage six, which again finished atop Mount Baldy, just five seconds behind Tadej Pogačar and Sergio Higuita. He finished fourth overall in the seven-stage race. Bennett then raced in support of Steven Kruijswijk at the 2019 Tour de France. He found himself in fifth place after Team Jumbo-Visma won the stage two team time trial, and maintained fourth position until stage ten. He lost nine minutes and 41 seconds in crosswinds after dropping back to collect water bottles from the team car and missing a crucial split in the peloton. Bennett commented on the experience, stating that "It's one of the downsides of being in a really stacked team where they all can win. Then you have a guy like me who would be a GC leader on another team, you are on helping duties." He was involved in two crashes during stage 18, first on a descent with Nicolas Roche, and again on the final descent of the stage. He ultimately completed the Tour de France in 24th position. In November 2019, Bennett underwent surgery to remove three ribs due to chronic slipping rib syndrome.

Bennett's 2020 season began with an eighth-place overall finish at the 2020 Tour Down Under. In February, at the New Zealand National Championships, he finished second in the road race after riding solo for 50 mile ^{(80 km)} before being caught and out-sprinted on the line by Shane Archbold. Following the interruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bennett achieved fifth-place overall finishes in both the 2020 Vuelta a Burgos and the 2020 Tour de l'Ain. He participated in the 2020 Tour de France, where he famously wore Māori-themed Shimano S-Phyre shoes, custom-painted by his artist girlfriend, Caitlin Fielder. Bennett continued his strong form in August at Gran Piemonte, securing his first-ever one-day race victory. This was one of the rare occasions in the season where he was able to ride as the team leader. He expressed his satisfaction, saying, "I'm really happy that I could do it today. I told the boys that I wanted to try and they really did a wonderful job." Just three days later, at 2020 Il Lombardia, he achieved the highest-ever result by a New Zealander in a Cycling monument by placing second behind Jakob Fuglsang. Bennett attacked on the final climb with 4.0 mile ^{(6.5 km)} to go, but Fuglsang managed to stay on his wheel and counterattacked, with Bennett finishing 31 seconds behind.

In February 2021, George Bennett achieved a long-sought victory, winning the New Zealand National Road Race Championship by nearly two minutes. He attacked a leading group of riders including Mark Stewart, Michael Torckler, Ryan Christensen, and Michael Vink, successfully dropping them with 5.0 mile ^{(8 km)} remaining in the 108 mile ^{(174 km)} race. Bennett expressed his elation, stating, "I've been trying for this title for 10 years. I have always wanted to win the jersey and to be able to wear it with my team all year on the World Tour is so special." Two days prior, he had finished second in the 27 mile ^{(44 km)} time trial, narrowly missing the win by 0.7 seconds to Aaron Gate. Bennett was then named the team leader for Jumbo-Visma at the 2021 Giro d'Italia, aiming for a top-five finish. However, the first week of the Giro proved disappointing as he struggled in cold and wet conditions, losing significant time on stage six. He candidly described it as "by quite a long way the biggest disappointment...the biggest disappointment." In the latter half of the race, Bennett found better form, securing third place on stage 12 and seventh place on stage 14, which concluded with the arduous climb up Monte Zoncolan. He also achieved a tenth-place finish on the uphill finish of stage 17, ultimately concluding the Giro in 11th position overall. Instead of competing in the 2021 Tour de France, Bennett spent July preparing for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where he was expected to contest both the time trial and the road race. The 145 mile ^{(234 km)} men's road race, with its 16 K ft ^{(4.87 K m)} of elevation gain, was anticipated to suit his climbing style. Bennett finished 26th in the road race, 6 minutes 20 seconds behind winner Richard Carapaz, commenting, "I'm sure New Zealand just wasted six and a half hours watching that... I just didn't have it. It's a tough day. It happens."

3.4. Recent Career, Injuries, and Team Transfers (2022-Present)

George Bennett's 2022 season began with a fourth-place overall finish at the New Zealand Cycle Classic, where he also secured third place in the stage one team time trial and third in stage four. At the New Zealand National Championships, he finished seventh in the individual time trial and 22nd in the road race, which was shortened to 56 mile ^{(90 km)} due to strong winds from Cyclone Dovi.

In 2022, Bennett transferred to UAE Team Emirates. He competed in the 2022 UAE Tour, finishing 36th overall while working in support of Tadej Pogačar, who won the race. He then placed 42nd in the 2022 Volta a Catalunya, supporting João Almeida, who finished third. Bennett did not complete Itzulia Basque Country or Liège-Bastogne-Liège, attributing his lack of success in the spring classics to his performance being "derailed by sickness." In early June, he competed in the 2022 Critérium du Dauphiné, where he finished 12th on stage eight and 20th in the general classification. Of his performance on stage eight, Bennett stated, "I'm happy to leave the race with a bit of confidence, actually, because you start to doubt yourself, of course you do. I had that feeling back - the feeling I need for the Tour."

Bennett started the 2022 Tour de France as a lieutenant for Tadej Pogačar. His efforts in the mountains were crucial in helping Pogačar maintain a 40-second lead over Jonas Vingegaard. However, Bennett tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to withdraw from the race before Stage 10. His teammate Rafał Majka also tested positive but was deemed non-contagious and allowed to continue. On Stage 9, Bennett, along with teammate Marc Soler, performed significant work on the Pas de Morgins climb, which ultimately caused Daniel Martínez to drop out of the top 10 overall.

After the Tour de France, Bennett came in second overall at the 36th edition of the Vuelta a Castilla y León. He launched an attack in the final kilometers of stage two, finishing behind Simon Yates, who secured both the stage victory and the overall classification. Bennett also placed third in the points classification. He commented that "It felt good to be back on the bike and back at the races after the disappointment I had at the Tour. I actually didn't feel that good today but hung on and had the legs to do something at the end. I'm confident the form is still in the body from all the work I've done and I'm confident we'll see it over the coming weeks." The following day, he finished 13th at the 2022 Clásica de San Sebastián, 4 minutes 9 seconds behind winner Remco Evenepoel. He then placed eighth at the Circuito de Getxo, contributing to teammate Juan Ayuso's victory. In August, at the Tour de l'Ain, Bennett was one of only two riders, along with Andrea Piccolo, who could hold Julian Alaphilippe's wheel when he attacked on Stage 1. Bennett led over the final climb with 6.2 mile ^{(10 km)} to go, earning enough mountain points to lead the classification into stage two. He finished 26th on the stage after the peloton regrouped for a bunch sprint. In stage three, he secured third place, finishing seventh overall in the general classification.

In 2023, Bennett faced a setback when he crashed in stage two of the 2023 Tour de Suisse and subsequently withdrew after riding two more stages. He expressed his frustration, describing cycling as an "absolute dog of a sport." As a result, he was not selected for the UAE Team Emirates roster for the 2023 Tour de France. Despite this, he achieved seventh place overall in the 2023 Tour of Austria and sixth place overall in the 2023 Vuelta a Burgos. In September 2023, Bennett signed a two-year contract with Israel-Premier Tech, stating that he sees "a lot of opportunities, especially in Grand Tours and in the high mountains." Reflecting on his time at UAE Team Emirates, he noted that it "went really fast" and that while there were "awesome moments," he "was just so shit in terms of results."

In 2024, Bennett placed third overall at both the Giro d'Abruzzo and the Sibiu Cycling Tour. He also finished fourth in the New Zealand National Road Race Championship and fifth in the time trial. He secured seventh place at the Mercan'Tour Classic. In 2025, he placed third in the New Zealand National Road Race Championship.

4.1. Career Highlights and Major Wins

• 2011 Tour of Wellington: Overall winner (yellow jersey)
• 2017 Tour of California: Overall winner (yellow jersey), becoming the first New Zealander to win a UCI World Tour event.
• 2019 Tour de France: Stage 2 (Team Time Trial)
• 2020 Gran Piemonte: Winner, his first one-day professional victory.
• New Zealand National Road Race Championship: Winner (New Zealand national champion's jersey).
• 2020 Il Lombardia: Second place, marking the highest-ever result by a New Zealander in a Cycling Monument.
• 2016 Vuelta a España: 10th overall, setting a new record for the highest general classification finish by a New Zealander in a Grand Tour at the time.

4.2. General Classification and Race Performance Timelines