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In 2013, Sam Bennett claimed an emotional victory on the fifth stage of the Tour of Britain, which started in Machynlleth and finished in Caerphilly.

It was the first win in what has been an illustrious professional career for the Irish cyclist.

Since that win, Bennett has taken more than 60 professional wins, including multiple victories in the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana.

He also won the prestigious Tour de France points jersey in 2020.

A decade after his first success in Caerphilly, the now-32-year-old Bennett will return to the town next month as he competes in another Tour of Britain.

Bennett has been confirmed as part of the provisional BORA–Hansgrohe line-up for this year’s race.

Bennett said: “I have great memories of Caerphilly. The last time I raced there it was at a make or break point in my career.

“If I didn’t get the win that day I would have been going back to college in Ireland. But I got my stage win, which allowed me to turn pro with NetApp-Endura the following year.

“Without that stage, I wouldn’t be here today.”

The Tour of Britain gets underway in Manchester on Sunday September 3, with the stage finish of this year’s eighth and final stage being held in Caerphilly on Sunday September 10 – where more than 100 of the world’s best riders will cross the finish line.

The grand finale to the race will see riders take on the climb up Caerphilly Mountain for the first time since 2013. This will be Caerphilly’s fourth time as a stage finish – but its first as the race’s final stage. The tour last visited the county borough in 2016 when stage five of that year’s race passed through.