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Bennett disqualified having cl...

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Bennett disqualified having claimed 9th stage of the Vuelta


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Joy quickly turned to despair for Sam Bennett who won, but was subsequently disqualified, on stage 9 of the Vuelta a Espana. 

The Deceuninck Quick-Step rider beat the pack in a sprint finish to Aguilar de Campoo.

However, Bennett was later disqualified for "irregular sprinting", with Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe) handed the stage win.

As they approached the final strait, Bennett could be seen colliding with a competing rider.

The upper echelons of general classification remain untouched, despite a late scare for second-placed Primoz Roglic (Team Jumbo Visma).

The Slovak needed a quick bike change 11km from home, and needed to play catch-up with the peloton.

He remains 13-seconds down on red jersey-wearer Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers), with Dan Martin still in third, 28-seconds from the summit.

It was Ackermann who was first to make a move, as the benign ninth stage drew to a close. Bennett kept his council, and with teammates to support him broke for the line inside the final couple of hundred metres to win his second stage of this year's Vuelta.

"It was a long final [straight], slightly uphill, slight headwind," Bennett said after the stage.

"We had to come from behind with speed. It was a big fight - we had some guys nearly putting us in the barriers trying to take the wheel.

"It was a bit sketchy, but we stayed upright.

"I'm really proud of this one, because I think it's my fiftieth career win, and the team's one-hundredth Grand Tour stage win so it was a nice one to get."


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Bennett Dan Martin Primoz Roglic Richard Carapaz Sam Bennett Vuelta Vuelta A Espana Vuelta Espana

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