Connor McConvey is in his comeback race with An Post Chainreaction this week at the five-day Etoile de Bességes in France and is acquitting himself quite well. The Belfast man was 45 seconds down on the break that contested today's stage four finish (Photo: Sirotti)
The An Post Chainreaction team had its best result of the week today when 20-year old debutant Jacob Scott took a brilliant fifth place on the penultimate stage of Etoile de Bességes (2.1).
The young Englishman did things the hard way as he had to bridge to the five-man break he initially missed, taking over an hour of furious chasing to do so.
Granted, he had the help of Roland Thalmann (Team Roth) but when they left the bunch they were just under two minutes in arrears.
Advertisement
The pair made it seven up front when they merged; the others being Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Caja Rural), Frédéric Brun (Fortuneo-Vital Concept), Evaldas Siskevicius (Delko Marseille-Provence KTM), Dieter Bouvry (Roubaix-Lille Métropole) and Thomas Rostollan (Armée de Terre).
That group worked hard to extend their advantage to over four minutes but as is often the case, the margin was whittled away as the kilometres ticked down.
There were three 15-kilometre local laps at the end of a 100-kilometre stage this afternoon and when they went through for the start-finish area for the first time the break still had a handsome three-minute lead.
Related News
Madrazo Ruiz, Siskevicius, Bouvry and Rostollan were all 3’02” down overall so those teams congesting the top of the overall standings knew it was in their interests to ride in the bunch behind.
They really ramped up the pace in the closing 20 kilometres but those out front were honest also and still held onto a 1’36” lead with 10k to go.
It was touch and go for the final kilometres but a brief lull in the chase allowed the breakaway men to contest the stage, with Madrazo Ruiz proving the strongest from Siskevicius.
Irish pair Connor McConvey and Damien Shaw were in 62th and 79th, in groups that closed to within 45 and 53 seconds of the winner, respectively.
McConvey dropped to 51st overall at 3’34” while Shaw is now 89th at 4’56”.
Tomorrow’s final stage is a 12-kilometre time-trial that starts and finishes in Ales.
It’s pan-flat for the first nine kilometres but it gradually rises to 271 metres in the closing three.
And with 13 seconds separating the top 29 riders, it’s anyone’s race.
Topics
