The Irish team has performed strongly, and kept its main general classification hope on track, during the first hilly stage of Tour de l'Avenir.
Both Ben Healy and Kevin McCambridge climbed with the favourites when the race split to pieces on the main ascent of yesterday's stage 6, which took the riders 111km from Champagnole to Septmoncel.
McCambridge, a noted climber, was unlucky with a mechanical issue on the descent of the final climb into the finish. That meant he lost time to the leaders. However, he had ridden with Healy up the 14.5km ascent of Cote de la Combed du Lac.
McCambridge led Healy, the Irish team's general classification leader, all the way up the climb, ensuring he was kept out of trouble. And it was only when that work was done that McCambridge suffered his mechanical issue and lost his place in the group.
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The stage was shortened by 27km, meaning a finishing circuit that would have included a second passage of Cote de la Combed du Lac, was not covered. However, the 111km on the menu - more specifically the speed and terrain - proved enough to do a lot of damage.
While the racing saw a five-man breakaway go clear, which included Nicolas Vinokurov - the son of Astana boss and 2012 Olympic champion Alexandre Vinokurov - it was kept on a right leash by the strong nations.
And though a chase group set off in pursuit of the breakaway, and caught it, late in the stage, they were all caught by the remains of the peloton, numbering about 40 riders.
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The sprint to the line was won by 21-year-old Anders Halland Johannessen of Norway, who just got the better of his twin brother, Tobias. Thomas Gloag (Great Britain) was 3rd.
The yellow jersey, Mick van Dijke of the Netherlands, placed 4th and did more than enough to keep the race lead with three mountainous stages remaining.
While a group of almost 40 riders approached the finish together, gaps emerged in that bunch in the final uphill kick to the line, with only the top 22 riders credited with the same time as the stage winner.
Irish champion Healy (20) was among that 22-strong selection, placing 12th on the stage after a solid team and personal performance. He is now up two places overall to 8th, still 1:42 off the race lead with the three hardest stages to come.
McCambridge (19) got going again after his problems and he finished in 68th place on the stage, some 5:24 down. JB Murphy (21) was the next Irishman home - in 75th at 7:37. He was followed by Adam Ward (20), Liam Curley (21) and Dillon Corkery (22), who all finished in a group at 13:21 in 103rd, 109th and 110th respectively.
Today's stage 7 starts in Saint-Vulbas and though it is just 97.7km it ends with a summit finish up the Grand Colombier; a 15.km HC climb with an average gradient of 7.8 per cent. By the time the riders get to the finish, the pecking order in this year's Tour de l'Avenir will be a lot clearer.
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