EvoPro Racing, the Irish Continental level team, has wrapped up Belgrade Banjaluka (2.1) with 4th on the last stage and with a one place move up to 4th overall in the final general classification in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
On stage 4 yesterday, some 163.5km from Prijedor to Banjaluka the Irish team place two riders in the top 10. Former WorldTour man Michael Van Staeyen placed 4th and US rider Brendan Rhim finished in 10th place.
While Saturday's stage 3 runner-up for EvoPro Racing, former Australian U23 road race champion Cyrus Monk, started the final stage 5th overall, he moved up one place to 4th in the final standings.
The final stage yesterday, which came down to a bunch sprint, was won by Mihkel Räim of Polish Continental team Mazowsze Serce Polski. That win by Räim was enough to move him into the final yellow jersey.
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That was a big result for the Estonian having lost his place in the WorldTour last year when he was not re-signed by Israel Start-Up Nation. He had initially said it was almost impossible to find to a team for this year.
The two Irish riders in the race - Michael O'Loughlin of EvoPro Racing and Stephen Clancy of Novo Nordisk - were on team duties yesterday in trying to set up their sprinters and then rode in to the finish, losing time on the bunch.
However, it was a welcome return to stage race competition for both Clancy and O'Loughlin; two riders who saw the vast majority of their racing plans wiped out last year due to the pandemic and who are now riding themselves back into racing form.
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