"It was great to be out front again, especially with Jack. I felt good, so I just went for it"

Conor Dunne out front alone and heading for home on the 8km finishing circuit in France today, when he put in perhaps his best ride of the year (Photo: Mathiue Prignet www.sitekbe.com)

Having won a great stage on the 2013 An Post Rás where he took the yellow jersey and then followed up with results strong enough to secure a place on the An Post-Chainreaction team, 2014 has not been all plain sailing for Conor Dunne.

The Irish international had not enjoyed the form he hoped for so far this season and having ridden so well at the Rás last year, he was not part of the circus in May.

His plans for the first part of the year were hit by illness, but with plenty of racing left in the 2014 campaign, he’s once again showing the form that has made him a regular on the Irish team in recent years; taking his best result for a long time today in France.

Dunne was 5th on the opening stage of the three-day, four-stage, Kreiz Breizh Elites UCI 2.2.

However, his lead in the climbers’ classification better reflects his fantastic ride.

Dunne on the podium in the climbers' jersey after taking the lead in that competition on today's 170km opening stage (Photo: Mathiue Prignet www.sitekbe.com)

With 170 kilometres facing the field, interspersed by plenty of categorised ascents; a fast start down some very narrow, twisty and undulating roads saw just over 20 riders pull clear and develop a significant gap very quickly.

Dunne went for the first climbers’ prime and got it, and his day continued in that style.

Just inside the last hour of racing, he took flight from the leading group, ploughing on alone to build a lead of one minute.

And while he was caught by a four-man breakaway and his exertions earlier in the day saw him take fifth from five in the charge to the line, it was a ride that looks like getting his season back on track.

“I was feeling good and I got into the big group off the front early on and that worked quite well to stay away,” he said of the escape that also included team mate Jack Wilson and fellow Irish rider Matt Brammeier (Synergy Baku).

“The pace slowed with around 40km to go and I attacked. I’d around a minute on my own but the guys behind got up to me with 12km to go.”

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Dunne said while he tried his best at the finish to win the race and take the yellow jersey, his near 30km solo escape had taken it out of his legs and he was simply beaten by slightly fresher riders.

“It was still really good to be out front though, especially with Jack there with me too. And there’s still three stages to go, so let’s see what happens.”

With the climbers’ jersey on his shoulders and sitting in fifth overall, Dunne is positioned nicely to take something from the final general classification when the event finishes on Monday afternoon.

However, he said his lead in the climbers’ classification and his solo move were simply the result of going for it when he knew he felt good on the road today.

“I got the first KOM and then after that I decided I’d go for the rest of them and it’s worked out so far. Then when I attacked, when were just on a flattish road; everyone was looking at each other and the momentum was ebbing away from us so I just thought I’d have a go and see what happened.”

Tomorrow is a split stage; two road races of 84km and 98km before the closing stage of 177km on Monday.

Dunne's group had just 13 seconds on the remains of the breakaway on the line today. But with big splits in the field, a huge number of riders are out of contention already.

Wilson had a very good ride with 10th today, with Brammeier just behind him in 11th; both 13 seconds off the winner.