Ireland's Rafferty on fire in France with third stage race win in three weeks

*Darren Rafferty on the front of the breakaway on Sunday in France on his way to his third stage race win in three weeks at Tour de la Vallée de la Trambouze (Photo: Karine Junique-Chastanier)*

Irish junior rider Darren Rafferty has taken his third stage race win in the last three weekends in France to continue his incredible run since arriving there only one month ago.

The 18-year-old, who broke the Irish junior 10 mile TT
record before leaving Ireland for France at the star of this month, has emerged
with the final yellow jersey from Tour
de la Vallée de la Trambouze.

Unlike the races
Rafferty had won over the previous two weekends, his latest win came in what
was effectively a mini stage race, with just two stages and both run on Sunday.

In the morning TT
Rafferty placed 3rd. And when he got away in the afternoon stage in a
breakaway, and placed 2nd, that was enough for him to secure the final yellow
jersey of the race in Cours in the Rhône department of east-central
France.

Sunday morning’s TT, over 14.35km, was won by Nicolas Rousset-Favier (VC Cournon d'Auvergne Junior) from Corentin Devroute (SCO Dijon) and Ireland’s Rafferty (Team 31 Jolly Cycles U19).

*Darren Rafferty representing Ireland at the Youth Olympics during his U16 days. The pandemic has limited his opportunities to ride for Ireland as a junior but he's now making his own chances abroad*

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Unfortunately no finish times have been published by the
race organisers or French cycling media so we are unable to bring you the TT
time gaps.

The afternoon road stage, of 114km, saw Rafferty finish
in the breakaway. The stage was won by Gregoire Mahieu (VC Saint Antoine) from
Rafferty and Martin Savonet (Amicale Cycliste Bisontine), all on the same time.

The next rider was nine seconds back followed by a
seven-man chase group at 32 seconds, with most of the remainder of the field
over three minutes back the road.

That result ensured Rafferty ran out the overall winner
by 47 seconds from Noa Isidore (UV Aube), with Martin Savonet (Amicale Cycliste
Bisontine) in 3rd at 53 seconds.

Rafferty’s win follows his victory in the four-stage Ronde sud Bourgogne just over a week ago, after winning the stage 3 TT and the concluding stage 4 road race. Just over two weeks ago he won the three-stage Tour du Carmausin-Ségala, during which his team won the TTT.

He was also part of the Team 31 Jolly Cycles U19 line-up that won the junior TTT round of the French Cup earlier this month.