Michael O'Loughlin of the Irish team on his way to time trial victory and the yellow jersey in the Gorey Three Day this morning (Photo: Sean Rowe)
By Jessica Lamb
Pierre Henri Jung will be given every opportunity to take home a jersey from Gorey Three Day after winning stage 3 of Irish Road Club's race this afternoon.
But it is Irish junior Michael O'Loughlin who holds the coveted yellow jersey with just one stage remaining.
He was second to Darragh O'Mahoney (Team Munster) in the two-up sprint that settled the opener yesterday.
And in this morning's 6.4km stage 2 time trial, the Carrick teenager who was 8th in the test at the World Road Championships was best of the large field.
His winning margin of 9.8 seconds over Team Ireland team mate Simon Tuomey was enough to put him into yellow.
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And he held that jersey when he finished in the bunch at the end of this afternoon's road stage.
The victor of that stage, Jung is riding for Team France, the same outfit that won two stages at the race in 2013.
He had chased home yellow jersey O'Loughlin and stage winner O'Mahoney in Saturday's road race, coming home 1:02 down on the leading pair after being in the main escape of the day that they had taken flight from.
Finishing in the 12th in this morning's time trial put the French sprinter well in contention for a general classification podium place.
Then when team mate Gael Hoarau was sent up the road with the early break this afternoon, the Velo Club from Eckwersheim's grand plans looked certain to come to fruition.
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Pierre Henri Jung from France and wearing the climbers' jersey is the clear winner of today's afternoon stage 3 at the Gorey Three Day (Photo: Sean Rowe)
Team France rider Julien Bornert said: "We have made big work today with Gael Hoarau's attack.
"After he came back to the group we got all the team behind to build a train for Pierre Henri and we are very happy to see him win the stage.
"Jonathan Cardona is also a good sprinter and finished second today, but tomorrow he will be a team mate for Henri.
"We have to work for him tomorrow and Jonathan will probably be the one to bring him home and with the green jersey."
Explaining why the nine-strong team came from near Strasbourg in France for the race, he added: "There is no race like this in France.
"We came two years ago and won two stages and the team classement and decided to come back again with a stronger team."
"Pierre Henri Jung is a new rider and our leader. He is a very good sprinter.
“He's not a good climber on the big mountains in France, but the KOH's yesterday and today were not so high.
"This year is harder than two years ago. The leader won the time trial by 30 seconds more than then and the first stage was much faster too."
Lucan's Eugene Murtagh finished 3rd in the bunch sprint that decided this afternoon's road stage.
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