In March, George Bennett was preparing for the rare opportunity to lead Jumbo-Visma in a Grand Tour at the Giro d'Italia. Fast forward a few months later, a worldwide epidemic and a realignment of ambitions forced the climber specialist to postpone his Giro attempt and become part of Jumbo-Visma's Tour de France challenge.

Bennett led Steven Kruijswijk to third place in last year's Tour and then led Primoš Roglic to his first Vuelta a España title.

The Giro was supposed to be Bennett's chance to improve on his eighth-place finish in 2018, but health issues surrounding COVID-19 and Lawrence De Plus disrupted the race calendar, so the Jumbo-Visma team replaced the Belgian in the Tour lineup. Bennett had to be appointed.

The change in program has forced Bennett to cancel his own GC plans for the season, and while this is a personal blow, he sees the Tour as an opportunity to accomplish something special as part of a team.

He told Cycling News, "You have to take in a lot of things, and each has great pros and cons. "On the one hand, it's very exciting to be part of a team that is trying to win the yellow jersey, but of course we are cyclists and of course we are riders who are trying to get to GC. So there are mixed emotions and it's hard to say which is better. They are just different."

Jumbo Visma heads into the Tour de France with three potential leaders in Roglic, Tom Dumoulin, and Kruijswijk. Dumoulin has not raced since last year's Criterium du Dauphiné. But any doubts about his current form can be resolved by the fact that Jumbo-Visma is the best team in the Tour de France.

"Assisted by Bennett, Robert Gesink, Zep Kuss, Tony Martin, and Wout Van Aert, the team is the closest threat to ending Team Ineos' domination.

"We are confident to compete in the Tour and it was a big project for this team. We have been together for a long time. It's exciting to be part of it. But I need to leave my personal ambitions at home."

"Of course it's hard, as a GC rider you can't just shrug it off and say, 'Okay, let's go. But at the end of the day, as I told the team, I'll go where they want me to go and do my best."

Of the strong Jumbo Visma lineup, which is full of climbing talent and has three potential leaders, Bennett said, "It's a pretty great lineup. When you look around, all eight riders are stars in their own right."

"We've got a lot of talent," said Bennett.

"Tony is one of the best domestiques on the flat. The same goes for Wout, who would have won the green jersey with any other team. Robert Gesink has finished in the top five several times in the Tour, and Sepp has a stage win in the Vuelta.

"I've climbed with some of the best riders, Steven, Roglic, and Tom. On paper it's a great team and a little bit exciting. We have one goal, and that's to get to GC."

Jumbo Visma will go into the Tour looking to win. However, Bennett believes that victory will ultimately come down to which team has the strongest riders, and that the lineups of Jumbo Visma, Ineos, and many other strong teams will cancel each other out.

"The teams are really important to me, but more important will be the strength of the best riders," Bennett said. "At the end of the day, let's say Bernal, Frum, or Thomas, or Roglic, Stephen, or Tom." Whoever ends up as the man, they will both be sent to the perfect place.

"We will know which leader of each team is the strongest. Both teams are strong, so I think it will come down to who is the strongest. As far as I have seen Primosch, I have never seen anyone as strong.

Whatever the outcome of the Tour, Bennett is determined to enjoy the race to the fullest after the Tour resumes. He is also looking ahead to next year, when he will finally get a chance to lead the Giro d'Italia. Bennett will once again be supporting other riders in the Grand Tour, but he is confident that he deserves the opportunity.

"It's been a crazy year, but next year I'm going to the Giro anyway, and I probably wouldn't have wanted to miss the Tour two years in a row, even if I go this year as a helper.

"I definitely won't be in the Tour next year because the Giro and the Olympics are my big goals.

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