Bennett beat world champion Mads Pedersen in a sprint finish to take his second stage win of the Tour, having already wrapped up the points classification at the intermediate sprint of the 122km stage from Mantes-la-Jolie.
A stage win on the Champs-Elysées to cap off a fantastic Tour in 💚 for 🇮🇪 @Sammmy_Be!
Victoire d'étape en vert pour 🇮🇪 @Sammmy_Be sur les Champs-Élysées pour finir ce Tour en apothéose !#TDF2020 pic.twitter.com/IHdNdQillcAdvertisement— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) September 20, 2020
It made Bennett the first Irishman to win a major jersey at one of the three Grand Tours since Sean Kelly won green at the Tour for the fourth and final time in 1989.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am,” Bennett said. “The green jersey and the Champs-Elysees, the world championships of sprinting. I never thought I’d be able to win this stage and to do it in green is so special.
“And to do it too with my dream team, Deceuninck-QuickStep – the way the boys rode all day was fantastic. It’s just so amazing the feeling, I can’t thank everyone enough.”
The 29-year-old Bennett had come to his third career Tour focused purely on stage wins, desperate to capitalise on the strength of the Deceuninck-QuickStep squad he joined this winter after finding his path at Bora-Hansgrohe blocked by Sagan.
He got the victory he craved on the Ile de Ré on stage 10 but after Sagan was relegated from the sprint a day later, Bennett found himself in an unexpected battle for green with his old team-mate, who had won the classification a record seven times since 2012.
The ensuing fight cost Bennett energy he might have saved for sprints, but he ultimately had enough for an emotional victory on the cobbles of the Champs-Elysees.
🇮🇪 @Sammmy_Be, just making sure! 🏅
🇮🇪 @Sammmy_Be analyse son sprint ! 🏅#TDF2020 pic.twitter.com/jmj8S3NvFO— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) September 20, 2020
“All the suffering in the mountains is so worth it now,” said Bennett. “All the years trying to come up, trying to make it…It took me so long to get here. I’m sorry if it’s coming across too much, I just want to enjoy it.”
Bennett launched his sprint early and briefly looked like he might be overhauled by the hard-chasing Pedersen, but he would not be denied in the race all sprinters want to win the most.
Peter Sagan took third place ahead of Alexander Kristoff and Elia Viviani.
Green was the only classification left to be determined after Pogacar’s incredible ride in Saturday’s time trial on La Planche des Belles Filles saw the Slovenian secure the yellow jersey as well as the King of the Mountains’ polka dots and the best young rider’s white on his Tour debut.
A day before his 22nd birthday, Pogacar is the youngest winner since a 19-year-old Henri Cornet won a very different looking event back in 1904.
“It’s unbelievable, crazy,” Pogacar said. “Even if I would have come second or last, it wouldn’t matter, it would still be nice to be here but this is just the top of the top, I cannot describe this feeling with words.
“Today was very special with my team-mates. Finally some time to talk with them on the bike and not just going full gas every day.
“I have a lot of respect for all the riders, every single one of them congratulated me today. I am really thankful. This sport is really amazing.”
