IRELAND’S SAM BENNETT narrowly missed out on victory in the concluding stage of the Tour de la Provence, which is his opening stage race of his 2024 season.

Bennett, who was making his debut for French team Decathlon-AG2R-La Mondiale, lost out to Belgium’s Tom Van Asbroeck on the line in a dramatic finish to the third and final stage of the event.

The Carrick-On-Suir cyclist finished seventh in the prologue stage on Thursday, and finished in 18th and 22nd respectively in the first and second stages.

Bennett is one of the strongest sprint riders in the world, winning two stages of the Vuelta Espana with the team in 2022. He endured a difficult season in 2023 but has made an encouraging start to his 2024 campaign.

He joined Decathlon-AG2R-La Mondiale last November.

You can view the list of results from the Tour de la Provence here

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