Sam Bennett remains close in green jersey battle at Vuelta a España

Vuelta a España race leader Remco Evenepoel tightened his grip on the red jersey in advance of Monday’s rest day, dropping all of his general classification rivals on the final climb of Sunday’s stage nine.

The Belgian Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl competitor caught all bar three of the day’s breakaway riders on the wall-like Les Praeres Nava ascent, finishing fourth, one minute 34 seconds behind stage winner Louis Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux). He is now a solid one minute and 12 seconds ahead of his nearest rival Enric Mas (Movistar Team).

The points classification remained unchanged, with former world champion Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) maintaining the five point advantage he opened up over Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) on Saturday’s stage. Bennett and his team have said they believe the Irishman will have scope to take back the green jersey in the sprinting stages later in the race, but Pedersen said on Sunday that he has ambitions to try to win Tuesday’s time trial in Alicante and thus add to his total there.

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Bennett will look instead to Wednesday’s stage 11, a 191.2 kilometre race to Cabo de Gata. It lacks any categorised climbs and seems likely to come down to a big bunch sprint, something which will suit the Carrick-on-Suir rider. He will also aim to take more points in the intermediate sprint 10 kilometres from the finish line.

Although Pedersen has been in better climbing form than Bennett in the race, the latter has got the better of him in each head to head sprint they have gone for. He won stages two and three in the race.

Meanwhile young Irish rider Archie Ryan had a superb performance over the weekend, netting second on the penultimate stage of the Tour de l’Avenir on Saturday to move up to fifth overall, and then advancing to fourth on Sunday’s final leg.

Both stages finished on uphills and Ryan underlined his strong climbing abilities with his performances. The race is regarded as the under-23 version of the Tour de France. It has been won by some of the biggest names in the sport, including Greg LeMond, Miguel Indurain and Egan Bernal. They went on to win nine Tours between them.

Ryan ended the race two minutes 49 seconds behind the Belgian Cian Uijtdebroeks. He overhauled Italian David Piganzoli for fourth on Sunday and ended up just 49 seconds off the final podium. The 20 year-old recently extended his contract with the development team attached to the Jumbo-Visma WorldTour squad.

Cycling Ireland national track championships, Sundrive Road, Dublin

Saturday

UCI Class 2 races

500m TT (Incorporating National Championships): 1 Orla Walsh (Nopinz Motip Race Team) 36.13″, 2 D Ivory (UCD Cycling) 38.41″, 3 O Mary Harrison (Arcane Cycling Team) 39.88″

Men’s Kilo TT (Incorporating National Championships): 1 Harvey Barnes (Spellman Dublin Port Cycling Team) 1 minute 7.565, 2 E Mullen (Black Line) 1′7.604, 3 A Wade (Team U Cube 17) 1′10.047

Junior men’s scratch race: 1 Patrick O’Loughlin (Panduit Carrick Wheelers), 2 C Marshall (Pinergy Orwell Wheelers), 3 L Bernie (Navan Road Club)

Women’s Omnium: 1 Emily Kay (Torelli-Assure-Cayman Islands), 2 L Gillespie (UCD Cycling), 3 K Jonker (Andy Schleck CP NVST) (RSA)

Men’s Omnium: 1 Aaron Wade (Team U Cube 17), 2 A Fynbo (Spellman Dublin Port Cycling Team) (DEN), 3 S Caulfield- Dreier (Spellman Dublin Port Cycling Team)

National Championships

Women’s scratch race: 1 Lara Gillespie (UCD Cycling), 2 E Kay (Torelli-Assure-Cayman Islands), 3 G Homer (Saint Piran WRT)

Men’s scratch race: 1 Andre Grennell (Spellman Dublin Port Cycling Team), 2 J Buller (Amicale Cycliste Bisontine), 3 S Caulfield-Dreier (Spellman Dublin Port Cycling Team)

Women’s Individual Pursuit: 1 Gabriella Homer (Saint Piran WRT), 2 K Mac Hale (Sundrive Track Team), 3 J Neenan (Sundrive Track Team)

Men’s Individual Pursuit: 1 Aaron Wade (Team U Cube 17), 2 S Lenehan (Spin11 — Chain Reaction RT), 3 S Landers (UCD)

Sunday

UCI Class 2 (incorporating national championships)

Women’s scratch race: 1 Lara Gillespie (UCD Cycling Club) (IRL), 2 E Kay (Torelli-Assure-Cayman Islands) (IRL), 3 F Selva (T RED FACTORY RACING) (ITA)

Men’s scratch race: 1 Matti Dobbins (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) (GBR), 2 A Grennell (Spellman Dublin Port Cycling Team) (IRL), 3 S Caulfield-Dreier (Spellman Dublin Port Cycling Team) (IRL)

Women’s Madison: 1 Emily Kay/Lara Gillespie (Team Ireland) (IRL) 65 points, 2 A Winther Olsen (Denmark)/F Selva (Italy) (Spellman Dublin Port Cycling Team) 47 points, 3 K Jonker (RSA)/G Homer (IRL) (Andy Schleck CP NVST) 8 points

Men’s Elimination race: 1 Matti Dobbins (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) (GBR), 2 A Wade (Team U Cube 17) (IRL), 3 A Fynbo (Spellman Dublin Port Cycling Team) (DEN)

National Championships

Women’s sprint: 1 Orla Walsh (Nopinz), 2 D Ivory (UCD Cycling Club), 3 E Kay (Torelli-Assure-Cayman Islands) (IRL)

Men’s sprint: 1 Conor Rowley (Blackburn Cycling Club), 2 E Mullen (Black Line), 3 H Barnes (Spellman Dublin Port Cycling Team)