Sam Coleman (AS Villemur U19) and Conor Murphy (Academy Région Sud p/b Giant) were in action today at junior Liège-Bastogne-Liège (1.1) in Belgium, with the duo riding very strong.
The 137.6km race, which finished on the famed La Redoute climb, with Coleman and Murphy giving a very good account of themselves, both finishing inside the first third of the race and Coleman not too far from the front deep into the final.
Indeed, he was at the front, in a much reduced peloton, until the base of the final climb when the move of the race was made and the leaders fragmented.
The race was won by Paul Seixas (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale U19), who is regarded as perhaps the best climber on the junior international scene at present. He finished nine seconds up on Daan Dijkman (Willebrord Wil Vooruit), with 3rd placed Jenthe Verstraete» (Crabbé-Dstny U19) at 16 seconds.
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After an undulating opening 75km, the riders tackled the Côte de Mont-le-Soie - some 1.8km at 6.5 per cent, with three other ascents to come.
The Côte de Wanne - 3.5km at 5 per cent - was crested after 86km and the Côte de Basse Bodeuax - 3.9km at 4.4 per cent was tackled at the 100km marker. Then came the final climb before the finish; Côte de la Vecquée, crested at 121.5km, some 16km before the final kick of 800m up La Redoute to the finish.
Coleman reached the based of the Côte de la Vecquée with the leaders - a great performance - before everything blew up.
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"On the third last climb it was short and steep and a group of about 12 hitters got away," Coleman told stickybottle.
"I was in the second group and we went full gas on the descent, chain-ganging the descent. And we caught the front group at the bottom of the second last climb.
"And then we rode up that climb all together and then when we came to the bottom of the last climb, everything just exploded, just bodies everywhere.
"I was in the third group on the road and trying to chase back on the descent but the groups in front were just going too fast."
The first and second groups on the road were comprised of 19 riders in total, before they split into ones and twos at the finish.
Coleman was in the third group on the road - which numbered just six riders, and he finished in 22nd place at 1:28. Murphy was a little further back, though 36th at 3:44 was a great result, especially in such a big field, as a first-year junior.
