Dillon Corkery may be no stranger to hard racing in Europe but the Corkman is competing at a higher level this season and put in a big shift today on stage 3 at Etoile de Bessèges (2.1).
Though he was assigned to team duties, positioning one of the climbers at key junctures through the stage, the 24-year-old Irish rider was still in the lead group after the final climb, which he started fifth wheel among the World Tour riders.
Once he had made it over that cat 1 Col des Brousses, Corkery's St Michel-Mavic-Auber 93 team switched to protecting the Irishman in a bid to get him into the mix for the final sprint, eventually won by former world champion Mads Pedersen (Lidl Trek).
And while Corkery told stickybottle he was disappointed after the gallop, as a heavier sprint and man for the flat terrain he had put in an impressive shift to make it over the five categorised climbs; a factor that wasn't wasted on him.
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"I was a bit upset because of kinda got boxed in coming into the finish," Corkery said of getting up for the gallop but finishing 22nd.
"I was looking after one guy from the team all day today, did a lot of work with placement on the climbs and so on. And then on the last climb I started it in the top five, and I knew I had to do that.
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"I was on the limit as it was and to get over that climb I had to be there at the front. I thought even if I was a few hundred metres off the back over the top I'd get back on because I can descend quite well, and that's what happened.
"And then the tactic of the team changed; from me looking after the guys to everyone looking after me. And then it wasn't the cleanest of sprints. It was a block headwind and even though I had a team mate helping me, moving up was quite difficult.
"But I made a good surge to the front just before the flamme rogue. And then I just got boxed in a bit coming into the finish, but the legs were good, and it was good to be there in that kind of company. And hopefully my day will come."
Corkery added if he had ridden the stage differently he may have had some extra gas to be able to make more of the chance he had.
"I might have been there at the finish with a bit more left in the legs but I'm new to this team. new to the pro scene, so I have to find my place before I get my own days like that. But it's a good start, a good stepping stone.
"And hopefully in March and April I should be in really good shape. I don't really feel super strong at the moment. But I am riding smart and I think it's getting me places and hopefully these coming months should be pretty good."
