Irish rider Sam Bennett was overcome with emotion after becoming just the sixth Irishman to win a stage at the Tour de France.
Bennett edged out rivals Caleb Ewan and Peter Sagan to achieve the historic feat in a thrilling sprint finish to stage 10 today.
In doing so, the Carrick-on-Suir native regained the green jersey for points leader, which he had held for two days of this year's Tour before Sagan took over.
The 29-year-old was visibly emotional in his post-stage interview after a tight win over Australian Ewan in challenging conditions.
"I don't think it has hit me. I forgot to throw the bike at the line in the moment and I thought he might have got me," Bennett said.
"I thought I’d be in floods of tears but I’m in shock.
"I just want to thank everyone that has been involved, the whole team, Patrick for giving me this opportunity and just everybody it took to get to here. I want to thank my wife, everyone around me.
"You dream of it, you never think it’ll happen. It did and, I don’t know, it took for a while to hit me."
The Deceuninck-Quick Step man came agonisingly close to grasping that elusive stage victory twice in the race's first week.
He follows Shay Elliott, Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche, Martin Earley and Dan Martin as the sixth rider from Ireland to win a stage.
Irish fans praised Bennett on social media, with one commenting: "Cry all you like Sam you have the whole country crying with you."
