Ireland’s junior road race and TT champion, Darren Rafferty, has put in a storming ride at Chrono des Nations today, once again underlining his place on the international stage.
The Irish teenager was just beaten for victory in the end of season UCI-ranked TT in France, ending the junior event in 2nd place. Compatriot Cian Keogh was 13th in the U23 race.
Rafferty, who was 4th in the TT at
the Europeans last month and 11th at the Worlds, was denied victory today by
just four seconds.
At the end of 24.6km of racing in Les Herbiers, Alec Segaert was fastest in a time of 31:14. The Belgian rider won the European TT title last month, was 3rd at the Worlds and also claimed 2nd in last week in junior Paris-Roubaix.
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He was just four seconds faster than Rafferty today, who was riding in his national champion’s livery in his last race for Team31 JollyCycles before he joins Hagens Berman Axeon for next season.
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While the margin between the top two
was tight, 3rd place Eddy le Huitouze was a bit further back, some 34 seconds
off the winner and 30 seconds down on Rafferty.
French rider Le Huitouze has shown great form of late as he was 3rd in the TT at the Europeans and 5th at the Worlds.
The rider who won the junior TT title at the Worlds - Gustav Wang of Denmark – was 5th today at 1:12.
In the U23 race today - which was 31.8km - Cian Keogh (Willebrord Wil Vooruit) was 13th, just one week after taking victory in the Mick Lally Memorial race in Co Meath. French U23 Antoine Devanne was fastest in a time of 39:07, with Keogh recording a time of 42:51.
