Sam Bennett (Detunink-Quick Step) has spent the last few months honing his form and will return next week at the Vuelta a Burgos, but the Irish sprinter told Cycling News that if he works on his legs in a few races, he should be in the Tour de France in late August. He told Cycling News that if he works on his legs in a few races, he should be in top form for the Tour de France in late August.

Bennett has not raced since abandoning Paris-Nice in March and spent most of the intervening months at home in Ireland as most of Europe was placed under strict blockade laws The 29-year-old Bennett is looking for his first stage win at the Tour de France. He said, "I'm in very good shape and after a few races I'll be ready to go. To be fair, there is not much I can do now. Just relax, stay healthy and professional. The job is done," he told Cycling News.

The Vuelta a Burgos will be an opportunity for Bennett to test his legs against a quality field, even though there are only two stages that are likely to be group sprints. The race will run for five days, from July 28 to August 1.

"It's been a few months since the race and I'm looking forward to getting back into it. I'm looking forward to seeing how my form compares to others and how I do in general, as it's hard to judge when you're not racing."

"I want to get back to where I want to be and I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be a compact few months of racing, so I think I'm ready and I hope I am. The whole team is ready as well. We should have at least two chances in Burgos. One of them is a hard one and the other is a more straightforward sprint. I haven't looked at it in detail yet, but I will when I get there. There seem to be a lot of people looking forward to the race and there seems to be a high level of racing."

Bennett and the other racers will have to undergo COVID-19 testing prior to returning to racing, and race organizers will have special protocols in place to ensure that their health is a top priority for their return to racing. Bennett is convinced that this is a necessary step to protect all involved, but he also warns of other factors before his return.

"With Spain being cordoned off again in certain areas, we hope it works out, but everyone seems to be doing a lot of testing and continuing to race. It's hot in Spain so it will be a bit of a challenge for us."