Dean Harvey of Team Ireland has put in a strong performance on stage 4 at Flèche du Sud; the first-year U23 rider surviving in the main peloton as it was reduced to less than 40 riders.
The 19-year-old finished 27th after 165.4km of racing starting and finishing in Mondorf, Luxembourg. The stage was won in a sprint by Sebastian Kolze Changizi (Team ColoQuick) from Emilien Jeannière (Vendée U) and Matias Malmberg (Team ColoQuick).
The stage began in a crosswind section with a big group riding away from the main peloton as the pressure was applied. However, the Baloise-Trek Lions team of stage 3 winner and race leader Thibau Nys missed the move and brought the lead group back on the next section of crosswinds.
With 70km covered the main field hit a 3.3km climb, with an average gradient of 5.6 per cent, where another split occurred. As the group rode away, Harvey was one of the last riders across.
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Daire Feeley, who is on the Team Ireland U23 line-up as an experienced road captain, also got across in a small group. The two Irish riders remained in the group until the finishing circuit, which was negotiated three times and included a short sharp climb.
Once the riders reached that circuit the attacks began firing off the front. While Harvey joined a few of those moves, the group stayed together for a sprint at the finish.
Aside from Harvey finishing in the group, Feeley placed 39th at 1:01 while Liam Curley and Matthew Devins were 51st and 54th, both at 8:41. Adam Kelly was 73rd at 12:13 while Odhran Doogan placed 99th at 16:06.
Heading into today’s final stage – some 140km starting and finishing in Esch-sur-Alzette – Feeley is best placed of the Irish team, in 28th place at 3:16.
