Damien Shaw had a day to remember at the Etoile de Bességes stage race in France yesterday (Picture: Sirotti)
By Brian Canty
Damien Shaw has said he’s had his eyes opened to the standard of top professional racing after yesterday’s third stage of the 2.1-ranked Etoile de Bességes in France.
The Mullingar man is making his debut with the An Post Chainreaction team this week in what is the biggest race of his career so far.
But he seems to be settling right in and was the team’s sole rider in the 29-rider breakaway yesterday.
After a frantic start to the 152-kilometre journey that started and finished in Bességes, the 31-year old managed to escape and stay out front until the third and final climb of the day – the cat 1 Col de Trelis.
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There, under the ferocious pace set at the front by those trying to distance race leader Bryan Coquard (Direct Energie), Shaw blew his lights along with the race leader.
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Damien Shaw has been introduced to the realities of pro racing for the first time, but he seems as relaxed now as he was before the race and is definitely not out of his depth (Photo: Sirotti)
“I was just hanging on at that point,” the Irishman told stickybottle.
“But the big boys were hopping around the road trying to get rid of Coquard so it wasn’t your typical break where everyone is just riding through.
“Then on the main climb I got popped going up it the last time, they dropped Coquard and opened the gas and that was me out the back.”
Though he was only 15 seconds off the rear of the front group going over the top, Shaw just couldn’t close the gap.
“I was going to blow up sooner or later but if I got down the descent with them it would have saved me 20 kilometres on my own,” he added ruefully.
“I was happy enough though, we were told to get someone in the break so I was just doing my job.
“It was a sobering moment being on the end of the boot!”
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