Ireland's Crockett takes podium result at Flèche du Sud | Video

Finn Crockett, leading, of VolkerWessels Cycling Team and recently declared for Ireland has taken a podium result today at Flèche du Sud (Photo: Davy Rietbergen-Cor Vos)

Finn Crockett (Volker Wessels Cycling Team), who has recently switched allegiance from Great Britain to Ireland, has taken the best result of his 2024 season to date with a podium finish at Flèche du Sud (2.2).

Irish teenager Liam O'Brien (Lidl-Trek Future Racing) is also riding the event and has been active riding for his team, which has taken a stage win and also leads the race overall with German 21-year-old Tim Torn Teutenberg.

For Crockett, today's result - after 151km of racing starting and finishing in Rumelange, Luxembourg - was a promising sign for the months ahead. It comes after he had already taken 9th on the opening stage and 7th place on a stage at Tour du Loir et Cher (2.2) in France last month.

Today's stage in Luxembourg came down to a bunch sprint after a breakaway was recaptured by the main field. Seppe Van Den Boer and top cyclocross rider Pim Ronhaar, both of Baloise-Trek Lions, took 1st and 2nd. Crockett and Timo de Jong, both of VolkerWessels, had to be content with 2nd and 3rd.

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Today's stage unfolded over nine laps of a local course, which included the climb of Côte de Langengrund - some 1.9 km at 4.4 per cent average gradient.

However, that shot climb wasn't long enough, or steep enough, to bring about any meaningful splits in the bunch. And at the finish, though Ronhaar rounded the last corner in the lead and looked like he would take the stage, his team mate Van Den Boer was too fast.

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O'Brien, who also finished in the bunch today - in 65th place - was active on the front riding to bring back the breakaway in defence of the yellow jersey, which the team held onto.

On Wednesday's opening stage - also decided in a bunch sprint - Crockett was 9th and O'Brien placed 68th; both finishing on same time as winner Teutenberg.

Tomorrow's stage 3 is 127km starting and finishing in Bourscheid. The route includes three laps of a finishing circuit, which features at 3.4km climb, averaging 7.2 per cent gradient. The finish is atop the climb on the third passage, with the race expected to split.

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