Sam Bennett has claimed a first ever stage win on the Tour de France.
The Deceuninck Quick-Step rider won the 10th stage, pipping Caleb Ewan in a sprint into Saint-Martin-de-Ré.
It follows a number of near misses for Bennett on this year's Tour, and sees him claim the sprinters' green jersey from Peter Sagan.
Primoz Roglic retains the overall leader's yellow jersey.
"I forgot to throw the bike at the line and I thought in the moment he [Ewan] might have got me," a shocked Bennett revealed after the stage victory.
🏆 ☘️ @Sammmy_Be wins! 🏆
🏆 ☘️ Le champion d’Irlande s’impose sur l’Île de Ré ! 🏆#TDF2020 #TDFunited pic.twitter.com/wOwPOY6qdF— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) September 8, 2020
Bennett's joined an elite group of Irish riders to take a stage victory on the Tour. Only Shay Elliott, Stephen Roche, Sean Kelly, Martin Earley and Dan Martin had gone before him.
The enormity of the moment quickly hit the Carrick-on-Suir man, who said he initially couldn't process the win.
"I just want to thank everyone that's been involved," a tearful Bennett said, "I just want to thank the whole team, and Patrick [Lefevre, team CEO] for giving me this opportunity.
"Just everybody it took to get to here. I want to thank my wife, and everyone around me.
"You know, you dream of it, and you never think it will happen. It does, it did and - I don't know - it took me a while for it to hit me."
Bennett thought he'd again left it too late to go for the stage win, and that he was in too high a gear, but still managed to make history on the Île de Ré.
You've won Sam....YOU'VE WON!!!! 🏆🏆🏆@Sammmy_Be is é tusa buaiteoir an staid inniu!!
CHAMP!!! Táimid fíor-bhródúil asat 🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪@LeTour #TDF2020 @JOEdotie pic.twitter.com/RGqprOJlUP— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) September 8, 2020
