Sam Bennett, who won his first stage win at the Tour de France 10 days ago, seemed genuinely stumped when asked which he preferred, the green points jersey or a sprint victory on stage 21 of the Champs-Elysées.

Winning the Irish green jersey for the first time since Sean Kelly took the green jersey for the fourth time in 1989, or winning the stage unofficially dubbed the "sprinters' world championships" on the Champs-Elysées in Paris.

On Friday's stage 19, Bennett not only survived the trickiest day of the day with the lead, but after opening up a slight lead, Peter Sagan, Beulah Hansgrohe's rival and seven-time green jersey winner, posted on social media In a message, he fully acknowledged the battle.

Bennett, however, had to wait until Sunday's final stage to finish fifth in the intermediate sprint on the third of eight laps of the Champs-Elysées. And he became the first rider since Mark Cavendish in 2011 to finish in the hallowed Paris sprint finish in green.

"I never thought I'd be in this position," said Bennett, who won the final sprint of the Tour cleanly and efficiently, well ahead of world champion Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo).

"I grew up seeing the iconic camera angles next to the sprinters.

Bennett described the sprint and its development in almost photographic detail, saying, "The last time I rode on the Champs Elysees, someone crashed on the back straight and broke my collarbone. So I was nervous about riding in a group. It doesn't look like it on TV, but it's a fast downhill"

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"Then we waited and waited and the riders took control of the race and went through the tunnel first. Then on the last corner Morkov started to open up and we covered each other on both sides

"Trek came up because they felt from the lap before that it was a headwind. So I let them go first."

"Then I waited and opened up when (Jasper) Stuyven came off the front for Pedersen. I knew someone was going to pull it out, but I can't believe I did it."

The question of how this feat relates to Sean Kelly, who like Bennett is from Carrick-on-Suir, was inevitable. And at this point, Bennett was asked, "When I was a kid, people thought he was a good player, but there was no one like Kelly, was there?"

But now that he has accomplished what Kelly could not, winning on the Champs Elysees, he smiled a little at what might have been said then.

"Well, I won the Grand Tour too, but he didn't," Bennett grinned. 'No, I'm just kidding. I'm not the next Sean Kelly. If you look at his palma, it's unbelievable.

"Still, I'm proud of what I accomplished and proud to have been a part of it, even if it's not a quarter of what he accomplished."

Bennett also thanked Kelly for the short video messages of advice and encouragement during the long and grueling green campaign.

"It's great to get a message from a fellow countryman who is in the same position and understands your situation. It was really nice to get a message from him."

Asked if his stage win in his seventh Grand Tour was his best victory, Bennett replied without hesitation. [San Remo, the World Championships, and the Champs Elysees.

"I never thought I would run the Champs Elysees in a green jersey. I never dreamed of wearing the green jersey.

"Somehow, winning in this jersey is like a dream that I never knew I had until I wore this jersey. I'll never forget it."

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