Ben Walsh 3rd on TT stage at Tour du Loiret in France | Sticky Bottle

Ben Walsh is back doing what he does best; putting the TT power down. And now he's taken a great podium result in a national elite race in France.

Former
top junior rider on the domestic scene, Ben Walsh, has today take the best
result of his U23 career today.

Now
riding for the GSC
Blagnac VS31 in France, he finished 3^rd on the stage 3 TT of the Tour
du Loiret, a national elite stage race.

And having ridden strongly on the opening two stages on Friday and yesterday when the racing split significantly, Walsh also ended the race 14^th overall and 4^th in the U23 classification.

Today's podium ride in the TT stage is Walsh's best result since leaving the junior ranks 17 months ago.

He rode for Vitus Pro Cycling in Britain last year before deciding to move to France for this season; a move that now appears to be coming good.

He is now
turning his attentions to the upcoming U23 Paris-Roubaix before returning to
Ireland for the National Road Championships.

On
the opening stage of four last Friday, Walsh rode solidly; finishing in a 20-man
chase group some 1:19 down on the 13-rider escape ground sprinting for victory.

At the end of that 178km stage, Walsh was 19^th and after his group finished most of the rest of the race lost seven minutes or more.

Walsh looking focussed in the rain as the racing split to pieces on the second stage.

That
opening stage was won by Sandy Dujardin (Espoir Cycliste ST Etienne) after four hours of
racing.

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The
second stage, on Saturday, was won solo by Mickaël Guichard (Team Pro Nicolas
Roux), who was five seconds clear of a 24-rider group sprinting for 2^nd
place.

Walsh was
in that front group after 178.5km just behind the leader and placed 14^th
on the stage.

Today, Sunday, saw the riders contest two stages; a TT in the morning and an
after road stage.

In the 12.4km
test, Jeremy Cabot (SCO Dijon) was fastest in a time of 15:14. He was 26
seconds up on Louis Louvet (CR4C Ronanne).

Then
rounding out the podium came Walsh; the GSC Blagnac VS31 man in 3^rd
another five seconds back.

And when
today’s final stage of 75km came down to a sprint from a reduced peloton of 58
riders, Walsh was in that group.

He placed
34^th on the same time as stage 4 winner Bryan Alaphilippe (Peltrax
CS Dammarie).

Those
results left Walsh 14^th overall, some 1:53 behind overall winner and
TT stage victor Cabot.

Conn McDunphy was also in the race and the CC Nogent sur Oise man placed 18^th overall.

He finished in the same group as McDunphy on the opening stage having earlier been in the breakaway and was also in the same group as his compatriot on the second stage.

McDunphy was 17^th in today’s test and finished in the bunch on the final road stage this afternoon.