Philip Lavery in is aggressive form in the Mzansi Tour in South Africa and made the main escape on today's 200k sweltering stage (Photo: Synergy Baku Cycling)
By Brian Canty
Philip Lavery has continued to impress in his debut season in the colours of the Synergy-Baku team, forging his way into the main move of today’s third stage of the Mzansi Tour in South Africa.
Though the Dubliner stayed out front for a large portion of the 201 kilometre leg from Bethlehem to Vanderbijpark in sweltering conditions, the move was eventually shut down to make way for a bunch sprint.
His team mate Matt Brammeier, the four-time Irish road race champion, almost delivered the team their first major win of the year but had to settle for eighth place in the gallop for the line.
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News of Lavery being right in the thick of things again after going clear on Wednesday’s stage will come as a real boost to him and indeed the team.
The early racing saw a number of attacks being launched but Team Abantu from South Africa was intent on keeping the race together at least up to the first sprint prime and so all attacks were unsuccessful.
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The racing would stay together until after the second sprint prime at 88km, after which Willie Smit (Vini-Fantini), Lavery (Synergy Baku), Patrick Kos (Airgas Cycling), Isiaka Cisse (WCCAfrica) and Jayde Julius (Bonitas) then got away.
Those five leaders built up a gap of 2’50″ with 40km to go before ProContinental outfit MTN-Qhubeka and Team Abantu took control of the chase.
With 20km to go the break would begin to attack each other as their lead rapidly decreased. Smit would eventually go clear and held off the peloton until 4km to go as Lavery opted for the relative sanctuary of the bunch.
A big crash on the final left hand corner took out a number of riders and disrupted the sprint somewhat, though in the end many of the sprinters were still in contention with Herman Fouche of the Bonitas team having the faster finish on the day.
He won from Synergy Baku rider Jan Sokol – who could ride next month’s An Post Rás in Ireland.
Lavery crossed the line in 63rd place in the same time as the stage winner, while Connor McConvey was 34th over the line, also in the same time.
Brammeier, Lavery and McConvey are now 57th (16:41), 31st (7:33) and 47th (12:01) overall.
The race continues tomorrow with an 85 kilometre race, 15 laps of a 5.3 kilometre circuit which is expected to be like a Belgian kermesse race.
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