Sam Bennett had his 2015 season off to the best possible start by winning always prestigeous ultimate stage of the Tour of Qatar. Much more is yet to come for the 24-year old Irishman, though, as his Bora-Argon 18 squad confirmed he would make his Tour de France debut this year.

Winning a dynamic Tour of Qatar final stage along with victories claimed in Classica de Almeria, Kund um Köln and Bayern Rundfahrt was enough to prove his potential and guarantee him a spot in the 9-man roster for the French Grand Tour so early in the season.

Bennet revealed that he had hoped to make his Tour de France debut already in 2014, but eventually he couldn't fit into a team built specifically around their talented former leader, Leopold König.

“This will be my first Tour de France,” Bennett told Cycling Weekly ahead of the Tour of Oman stage three. “It’s fantastic — it’ll be great for the experience. I missed out on it last year. I’ll be delighted to get my first start.”

Obviously, a victory at the Tour of Qatar not only satisfied his team but the rider himself, considerably boosting his morale as well as a number of followers on Twitter.

“That win was great for my morale. I’ve never had a result so early in the season and it was fantastic to win over such a field. The number of my Twitter followers went up considerably!” he continued.

“And it’s good for the team, as well, with the new sponsors, and for our jersey. You get more respect in the peloton. That’s good and important for the team. It sets us well for the rest of the season.”

Born in Belgium, the 24-year old Bora-Argon 18 sprinter moved to Ireland at the age of four and grown up in Carrick-on-Suir, Sean Kelly's hometown. Bennet confessed, though, that despite being surrounded by countless institutions and public areas named after his esteemed countryman, he wasn't able to acknowledge his achievements before getting involved in cycling himself.

“I didn’t even know who Sean Kelly was until I got into cycling. Even at home it’s the Sean Kelly Sports Centre, the Sean Kelly Square… It’s just another name. But when I got older and realised what he’d accomplished, he became an idol,” Bennett said.