Ireland's Finn Crockett puts in big shift at Kreiz Breizh Elites | Video

Finn Crockett, third in line, has put in some very strong performances at the Kreiz Breizh Elites stage race in France (Photo: Kreiz Breizh Elites)

Finn Crockett (VolkerWessels Cycling Team) has put in a very strong performance at the UCI 2.2-ranked French stage race, Kreiz Breizh Elites.

The Commonwealth Games medalist, who won Rás Mumhan last year and has since declared for Ireland, proved one of the strongest riders in the field; going on the attack and featuring prominently in the finals of the stages.

On today's third and final stage - some 178.3km from Guingamp to Rostrenen - the field split to pieces in the final push for the line, with Crockett finishing in 5th place. He was in a group of nine just two seconds down on the top three on the day.

The stage was won by Niels Vandeputte (Alpecin-Deceuninck Development Team) from Sebastian Nielsen (TDT-Unibet Cycling Team). Race leader Florian Dauphin (Arkéa-B&B Hôtels Continentale), who won yesterday's stage 2 from a breakaway to take the jersey, was 3rd and so wrapped up overall victory.

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The sprint for 4th place just behind the three leaders was claimed by Axel Huens (TDT-Unibet Cycling Team), from Crockett. Fellow Irish rider Conn McDunphy (Team Skyline) was 67th at 11:23 while Leo Doyle (XSpeed United Continental) was a non finisher today.

Crockett also rode very well on Saturday's opening stage - some 197.3km from Calanhel to Priziac - when he made the winning breakaway. It held off the main bunch by just seven seconds.

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However, American rider Brendan Rhim (Project Echelon Racing) attacked the breakaway on the 7km finishing circuit and rode clear to victory. He took the win by seven seconds from Huens, who led in the sprint from the remaining escapees, with Crockett 4th on the stage.

McDunphy and Doyle were in the main bunch, some 14 seconds down on the winner, while Cian Keogh (Team Skyline) was 134th at 14:50. On Sunday's stage 2, featuring eight laps of a hilly finishing circuit, the gaps were bigger at the front.

Dauphin won the stage from a five-man breakaway, which was 48 seconds up on a nine-man chasing group, with the remains of the main field at 1:46. McDunphy and Crockett were in that reduced main field - placing 35th and 38th - with Doyle 118th at 16:31 and Keogh and non-finisher.

Crockett ended the race today best of the Irish, placing 13th at 1:41, while McDunphy was 57th at 13:09.

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