Beulah Hansgrohe admitted that "disappointed" Sam Bennett needs time to "get over" his decision to no longer be a member of the Tour de France team and focus on the overall class with Alexandre Brasov.

Bennett returned to Bora-Hansgrohe this year after a six-year stint with the team from 2014 to 2019, hoping to sprint again in the Tour after his last season with Quick Step ended in injury and a disagreement with team manager Patrick Lefebvre.

But after missing most of the second half of last season with a knee injury, Bennett has struggled to return to the level that earned him two stages and the green jersey at the 2020 Tour. Last Monday, his name was unsurprisingly absent from the list of eight riders heading to Copenhagen, the start of the Tour de France.

Although Beulah Hansgrohe has not explained their selection strategy, team manager Rolf Aldag is well aware of Bennett's disappointment at missing the Tour de France and why Beulah Hansgrohe is not splitting the team with GC and sprint goals It will take time to understand why he chose to support Vlasov instead of splitting the team on GC and sprint goals.

"Surely he is disappointed. He's certainly disappointed. We need to get over it and give him time to make the next plan with his coach," Rolf Aldag told Cycling News in Roskilde at the start of the second stage.

"Given his talent, his history, his victories, it would be very strange if he wasn't disappointed not to be in the Tour."

"After planning for the Tour, working for the Tour, being under the pressure of this year being his comeback year, and not being in the Tour, it's a bit of a shock. It's only natural to give everyone a little time to reconsider and find the best plan.

With only one win this year, at Eschborg Frankfurt in early May, Bennett's omission was perhaps not the biggest surprise. However, Aldag noted the presence of GC leader Aleksandr Vlasov and the direction of the team.

Jai Hindley's victory at the Giro d'Italia in May after Peter Sagan's departure seemed to solidify their new direction as a GC team. Vlasov, meanwhile, had a brilliant debut season with the team, winning the Tour de Valencia and Tour de Romandie and establishing himself as the dark horse to win the Tour de France.

"This decision is not against Sam Bennett. It is only about the Pro GC, short and simple," Aldag said.

"If we are going to use Sam, we have to take some lead-outs to be fair. He has no chance as a sprinter alone against the full lead of his rivals. With that in mind, Vlasov is really on a roll this year. So what do we do? Compromise and make everyone unhappy?

On the direction of Bora-Hansgrohe's new Grand Tour, Ardagh explained: "It's a long-term project. Expectations are high and we are not afraid of that, but we are well aware that our riding strategy may change."

Aldag also said.

Aldag noted that had Vlasov not retired from the Tour de Suisse with a COVID-19 positive, Bennett would have sprinted in the Tour. Aldag also felt that Bennett could have won the Tour, but that the GC strategy ultimately prevailed.

"There was definitely work to be done, but he was in very good shape. If he had been here and had the quality, talent, and tactical skills that he has, he would have had a chance to win the stage," Aldag claimed.

Aldag added that Bennett could not participate without a support network, but his lead out man, Danny van Poppel, is in the Tour, and Marco Haller, who is also taking on the role of road captain to help Vlasov, has sprint train experience have.

These two will probably be useful in the early sprints and on the cobbles of stage 5, but Van Poppel seemed a bit unclear about his role.

"I was a little surprised, but not really. Because Vlasov is really doing well and Sam is not. Because Vlasov is really going strong and Sam is not.

"I like the lead-out better, but it is what it is. I'm committed to lead-outs and I want to show myself in lead-outs. But I have to show myself in another way."

That other way is to put on Bennett's sprint shoes. The priority is Vlasov, but if Vlasov can be safely guided to the banner with 3km to go, Van Poppel should be let loose on the flat stage.

"It's different from before, but it's not a big change because I've always sprinted. There is pressure, but the team is here for Vlasov, so it's not a big pressure," Van Poppel said.

"I feel very good. I know (Fabio) Jacobsen and (Dylan) Groenewegen are really fast. But I believe in it. Yesterday (Yves) Lemper won. You never know."