Dean Harvey of Team Ireland has ended the Flèche du Sud stage race in Luxembourg with his best result of the week from a breakaway. The 19-year-old got clear in the early breakaway on yesterday's 140km stage starting and finishing in Esch-sur-Alzette.
That five-man breakaway got clear after about 25km and had a lead of between one and two minutes for most of the stage, before it began to tumble on the last lap of the circuit.
As that last lap began, a chasing group of four that had gotten away from the main peloton caught the breakaway, making for nine up front as what remained of the bunch were closing in.
That gap with one lap remaining was down to 30 seconds and by the time the leaders hit the 1km to go marker, after plenty of attacks up front, the bunch was just seconds back.
Advertisement
Related News
When the breakaway men began to hesitate, all unwilling to take it up, Harvey seized the initiative and attacked. While he got a small gap, the other escapees went after him and the six that remained overtook him just before the line.
That left Harvey to hang on for 7th place, as the first riders in the bunch sprinted in and just caught the breakaway on the line, meaning there were no time gaps at the finish. Arthur Kluckers (Leopard Pro Cycling) won the stage from Lucas Janssen (Beat Cycling) and Jérôme Baugnies (Team Metalced).
Of the other Team Ireland riders, Matthew Devins, Odhran Doogan, Adam Kelly and Daire Feeley were all in the bunch, with Liam Curley in a group a 3:17.
Stage 3 winner Thibau Nys (Baloise-Trek Lions) retained his race lead to run out the overall winner, taking that race lead on an uphill finish on which Devins was 9th. Feeley was 28th at 3:16, Harvey 33rd at 8:09, Devins 37th at 10:17, Curley 68th at 27:19, Kelly 81st at 30:57 and Doogan 110th at 51:38.
