Mark Dowling has finished third in the Taiwan KOM Challenge today behind former Giro d'Italia stage winner Damien Monier of France and defending champion John Ebsen of Denmark.
By Brian Canty
Ireland’s Mark Dowling has taken arguably his best ever result by finishing third in the Taiwan KOM Challenge today.
The reigning national criterium champion scooped a cheque for €2,800 after finishing behind winner Damien Monier of France and two-time victor and defeinding champion John Ebsen.
Ebsen rode for Androni Giocattoli last year and will ride for ONE Pro Cycling in 2016 while Monier has ridden for Cofidis for almost 10 seasons and is a former stage winner of the Giro d'Italia.
He has been contracted to the Bridgestone Anchor Cycling Team in Japan for the last two years and has an impressive palmares that includes top general classification results in the Tour of Japan and Tour of the Mediterranean.
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Dowling’s result merely underlines he belongs at that level and he looks to be improving year on year.
Last year, in his maiden attempt at the Taiwan KOM Challenge, he was 10th.
So to go so close to the win this time around will surprise no one.
The first prize was a massive €28,000 while for the runner-up a tasty sum of €14,000 was the award.
Dowling will perhaps feel a little short changed at only receiving €2,800.
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But it’s a result that should go some way into securing him a place on a Continental-level team of some description in 2016.
The start-list was a star-studded one for today’s event, with Vuelta A Espana climbers’ classification winner Oscar Fraile taking part along with 2012 Olympic omnium champion Lasse Norman Hansen.
Though it was effectively a 105-kilometre sportive, 412 men and 32 women took part and raced it flat out from the gun.
Dowling was rarely under pressure for the opening 90 kilometres but then the attacks started, and he was always to the front of affairs.
The front group was down to 12 inside 10 kilometres to go and it included local hero Chun-kai Feng (Lampre-Merida).
Alas, he was marked out of it and blew himself up too early while the aforementioned Fraile and Hansen also found the pace too hot.
Monier managed to jump away late on to take the honours and though Dowling followed, he was distanced and Ebsen just came around him late on for second.
More to follow.
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