Damien Shaw on the attack as Ronde de l'Oise splits to pieces
Ireland's Damien Shaw was up the road in France, and not for the first time so far this season.
Aggression may have paid off for Damien Shaw already this season but it was not to be yesterday.
The Mullingar man claimed victory on the opening stage of the Tour du Loir et Cher (UCI 2.2) and held the yellow jersey in April.
And while he managed to get out of the bunch on the first stage of the Ronde de l'Oise yesterday he just failed to get across to the breakaway.
When he took victory and yellow two months ago, Shaw proved by far the strongest in the breakaway.
He drove hard and did the lion’s share in establishing the gap. He then urged the escape to ease back a little to have some reserves when the bunch wanted to close them down nearing the finish.
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And when that plan worked and the breakaway remained clear, he surged clear alone to win.
However, yesterday he would get to within four seconds of the breakaway and then proved unable to close the rest.
It was perhaps a wise move on the part of the four-man breakaway not to let the Irishman on.
They would build a lead of almost five minutes at one point on the 122.7km stage from Beauvais and Clermont.
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And two of their number would make it all the way; Flavien Dassonville (HP BTP-Auber93) and Arnaud Gérard (Fortune-Vital Concept).
Dassonville claimed victory by 59 seconds from Gérard; the winner powering clear on the 18 per cent climb of just under 1km to the finish line.
Behind them a reduced peloton fought it out for 3rd place.
Shaw’s An Post-Chainreaction team would opt to work for Rás stage winner and king of the mountains Przemysław Kasperkiewicz.
But on the final climb he would not feature, despite the best efforts of Shaw, Irish team mates Sean McKenna and Conor Hennebry and Scot Mark Stewart.
Kevin Le Cunff (HP BTP-Auber93) would take 3rd some 1:35 behind his victorious team mate.
Kasperkiewicz was best of the An Post men; in 27th place 1:57 down on the stage victor. Stewart was next of the team, coming home in 30th just 3 seconds later.
Shaw was in 48th place, 2:07 down on the winner, with Hennebry 59th at 2:21 and McKenna 77th at 2:44. The race concludes on Sunday.
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