George Bennett will take over the leadership at Israel-Premier Tech next year after a two-year stint at the UAE Team Emirates. His previous seasons didn’t meet expectations. “I made a lot of friends in the United Arab Emirates, but in terms of performance, I fell well below what was expected,” reflects Bennett on his time with the Middle Eastern team, as reported by the British website GCN.
“It just didn’t work for me to become a good cyclist,” said the 33-year-old New Zealander. “It also took a while in Jumbo (Bennett was with Jumbo-Visma until 2021) to figure out what I needed. I’m someone who trains well, but it didn’t work out at the UAE Team Emirates. I found it very difficult to reach my 100%. I did my best, but when you’re not at 100%, it’s very frustrating.”
Bennett doesn’t know what went wrong
Bennett finds it difficult to explain exactly what went wrong. “Maybe I just didn’t have the courage to do what they wanted from me,” he said.
“It was fantastic. The guys were great, and the team as well. I learned what I can do and what my limits are. It wasn’t two wasted years, but I certainly didn’t perform as I wanted.”
Choice of Israel-Premier Tech
While there was interest from Groupama-FDJ, INEOS Grenadiers, and Soudal Quick-Step, the Kiwi ultimately opted for a move to Israel-Premier Tech. “I will try to achieve results. There will also be moments when I’ll help other riders, which I really enjoy.”
“It will be more about racing and playing for surprises. I know I’m making it all sound romantic, but that’s the messy racing style I really like. I’m excited about the opportunity to become a good cyclist again.”