Already victorious last month in the Clasica de Almeria, Sam Bennett grabbed the second win of his pro career yesterday when he sprinted in at the head of the bunch in the Rund um Koln in Cologne, Germany.

The Carrick-on-Suir rider was guided into position by his NetApp Endura team and then bided his time as the sprint unfolded, darting to the left of the leading riders and passing Belkin Pro Cycling's Barry Markus and the 2013 Milan Sanremo winner Gerald Ciolek (NetApp Endura) just before the line.

“On the last corner Belkin and Ciolek got in front of me but I was happy because I didn’t want to jump first. It was a block headwind. The guys jumped at 200 metres and I waited until 100 metres. I was coming fast, but I nearly left it too late.”

The success confirms him as the best Irish sprinter since fellow Carrick-on-Suir rider Sean Kelly.