Damien Shaw suffers through freezing stage, keeps hopes alive
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Damien Shaw suffered after his stage 1 breakaway heroics. But he has kept his hopes alive in France on a really cold day with lots of climbing. Above, his team mate Sean MacKinnon in the breakaway on stage 2 today.
By Brian Canty
Damien Shaw slipped to 8th overall at the Tour de Bretagne (2.2) in France today.
However, while he also lost the mountains jersey he claimed on yesterday’s opening stage he has kept his GC hopes alive.
Shaw came home in a large group 1’44” behind the stage winner and new race leader Flavien Dassonville (HP BTP-Auber 93).
The Irishman was in a 60-man group, with the remaining 70 riders in the race losing
He started the day fourth overall at four seconds but is now 1’51” down overall with five stages remaining.
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It was by no means a bad day for the An Post Chain Reaction team. His Canadian teammate Sean MacKinnon was 5th on the stage. And he is up to fifth overall, at 42 seconds.
Today’s stage, the longest of the race, proved very challenging. Temperatures dipped almost to freezing on a day with no shortage of climbing.
The stage was 202 km with 2,500m of climbing. The three categorised climbs were swept up by the breakaway which eased Shaw out of that jersey.
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He told stickybottle he was glad to come through such a hard stage despite suffering the after-effects of his breakaway heroics yesterday.
An initial escape of four riders was brought back with 80 kilometres to go. And by the finish the peloton was down to 60 riders. Shaw and four of his teammates were in there.
MacKinnon was already up the road at that point. The peloton fragmented again entering the final finishing circuits but would regroup before the finish.
But it would never catch the five riders who had gone clear earlier.
After his ride of yesterday when he spent stage 1 out front, Damien Shaw has been appearing on French TV.
Today's winner and new overall leader Dassonville, a 26-year old from France, broke clear on his own from the escape.
He soloed home for a very fine win and he leads the way by 36 seconds from Stan Dewulf.
Shaw gives up mountains jersey
Sean Bennett (Jelly Belly p/b Maxxis) took the mountains’ jersey from Shaw. He had infiltrated the break today and now leads the way on 30 points.
Shaw is on 18 after collecting two points today. He adds those to the 16 he collected yesterday when clear in a two-man escape.
He was only caught about 150 metres from the finish line after dropping his breakaway companion.
For his troubles he took some time bonuses as well as the climbers’ and combined classification jerseys.
Tomorrow’s stage takes the riders 166 kilometres on a southerly journey from Saint Pol de Leon to Scaer.
There are five categorised climbs along the way as well as five laps of a punishing finishing circuit.
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