Four months after heart intervention, Sam Bennett prepares for cycling comeback

Sam Bennett underwent a heart ablation in November 2025 and then faced a long(er) rehabilitation. The Irish sprinter had not yet raced for his new team Pinarello-Q36.5, but that is about to change. Bennett will make his comeback on Wednesday at Nokere Koerse.

Last year, while still riding for the French Decathlon team, Bennett struggled for a long time with cardiac arrhythmias. This was diagnosed after a medical test, after which the rider underwent an ablation (the burning of cells in the heart wall to treat arrhythmias) on November 18, 2025. After a prolonged period of rest, he was allowed to start cycling again at the end of December.

Now, four months after his procedure, the former winner of the green points jersey in the Tour de France is ready to race again. Bennett is part of the Pinarello-Q36.5 roster for Nokere Koerse, the Flemish semi-classic scheduled for tomorrow.

Learning process
"Once I had sufficiently recovered from the procedure, my condition actually improved quite quickly. But what I noticed was that it felt like I had to retrain an injured muscle, just like any other muscle in my body," he said in a press release from his team. "It really felt like I had to slowly retrain my heart."

"My overall condition is very good. The base and regular training feel normal again. What still needs time are the repeated high-intensity efforts. You can't rush that. Nokere Koerse is an exciting race in that respect, because it’s a chance to see where I stand. It’s a learning process, to understand what is going well, what isn’t, and what I still need to work on."

"I’m nervous, but in a healthy way. I’m really looking forward to racing again. It will be great to ride with the guys and truly be part of the team. Everyone has been incredibly supportive, but until you train and race together, you’re still a bit on the sidelines."