Irish rider David Gaffney has been quietly going about his business in Europe this season, putting together an impressive series of results, including a career-best performance in French stage race action this weekend.
And on the TT stage, in an event with 164 starters from 18 different countries, the Waterford teenager was especially impressive for Team 31 Specialized. That TT was won by British rider Luca Bednarek (Hot Tubes), who won the opening stage of the Junior Tour of Ireland this year on his way to 4th overall.
Gaffney skipped the Junior Tour this year, opting for French stage race Ain Bugey Valromey Tour (2.1) instead, where he had a bad crash, which really set back his season. And that has been a mark of his approach to racing in his junior years; throwing himself into the hardest races he can find in Europe the hope of progressing at the highest level.
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Though he was 6th overall at Spanish stage race, Gipuzkoa Klasikoa (2.1), earlier this year, and took 2nd on a stage, his performance at La Ronde Des Vallées (2.1) this weekend was of a higher order.
Fellow Irish rider, Hugh Óg Mulhearne (AS Villemur Cyclisme), who is in his first year as a junior, was also in the race, placing 29th overall at 2:54. He was 48th, 58th and 34th on the three stages.
Gaffney was 8th on the opening stage on Saturday; some 106km starting and finishing in La Prénessaye, with 1,400m of elevation gain. On Sunday's split stage, he was 9th in the 11.8km TT stage into Hémonstoir and then placed 13th on the 105km after road race into Hémonstoir, with 1,300m of climbing.
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Saturday's opener was won by French national road race championships runner-up, Alexandre Trouvain (Argenteuil Val de Seine Cyclisme 95). He was 38 seconds up on an eight-rider chasing group, containing Gaffney. The next big group on the road was almost two minutes down.
Though that result set up Gaffney for a strong general classification result - in a race where he also finished 4th overall last year - it was something of a disappointing outcome. He had been part of a three-man group, chasing the lone leader, in the final but they were caught with 1km to go.
He crossed the line in 8th place, meaning he was 8th overall, equal on time with seven others, some 38 seconds down on stage winner Trouvain. Gaffney told stickybottle he was very happy with his TT on Sunday morning, placing 9th some 25 seconds down on Bednarek.
That TT result moved him up to 5th overall, 25 seconds down on new race leader, Norway's Håkon Eiksund Øksnes (JEGG-SKIL-DJR). Gaffney began the final stage on Sunday afternoon equal on time with Maksymilian Matyasik (Soudal Quick-Step U19).
In the afternoon road stage, a six-rider group sprinted it out for victory just six seconds ahead of the bunch, which had been trimmed back to less than 40 riders. The stage was won by Mauro Keppens (JEGG-SKIL-DJR), with Gaffney in the bunch and moving up one place to 4th overall.
The final general classification win went to Eiksund Øksnes, by 11 seconds from stage 1 winner Trouvain, with Simon Defrance (Soudal Quick-Step U19) 3rd at 16 seconds and Gaffney 4th at 25 seconds.
