A slow start to transfers for Xero, with nearly none of their attempted business in the first weekend coming to fruition. All except one free agent bid, their first port of call in this window, in the first minute of transfers. A free agent bid we'd planned and hoped to be able to make for exactly two years. Mr Xero, welcome home.
George Bennett needs little introduction at Xero HQ, but he is, next to Joseph Areruya, one of Xero's two greatest riders ever. Leader of all three of Xero's promotions, George joined our team in our second season in 2017, and lead us from the Continental Tour to the Tour de France, from the bottom tier of cycling to winning a stage for us at Le Tour de France. As suggested by his nickname, bestowed on him by a fellow manager in our HQ, George Bennett was Xero - each year one of our highest scorers, the first rider we put training camp development into, as we sought to bring him from a CT leader to a PCT and eventually PT one. He went with us every step of the way, and is responsible for many of our greatest moments. Promotion to the PCT, then the PT, and then leading us to the PT a second time in his final peak season. His first victory for the team at our home race, the Gisborne GP (above). Our first PCT victory, a stage at the Tour of the Middle East. Our first PCT GC victory. Our first Tour de France stage win - an epic in the snow at La Toussuire (below). His iconic nail-biting victory at the Tour of America. Fourth at the Giro d'Italia. The list goes on and on. And now, so does his career with Xero.
That role of veteran road captain is the capacity in which he returns to Xero, for one last ride for the team he loves, with which he was synonymous for so many years. We couldn't be more happy to welcome him back to Xero HQ, and are looking forward to having his mentorship and still-quality climbing legs on the team bus and on the road. Few are more excited to welcome him back than Joseph Areruya - Bennett's original mentee, they didn't ride together during their last three seasons of shared leadership after Areruya was one of Bennett's key lieutenants during his younger years. Now the roles are reversed and Bennett can pay it back, and we can't wait to see Xero's greatest ever on the road side-by-side one last time.
Glad he’s back where he belongs to finish his career! He was everything to us and for 2 seasons pushed the team to new heights! We hope to see him succeed in his new role at Xero. Great signing!
And sure, always enjoy talking with you even when it doesn't come to anything 
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George Bennett
