Jack Wilson has put in a fantastic ride this weekend, scoring three top 10 results in four stages, one podium and fourth overall in a UCI-ranked race in France.
Jack Wilson has taken the best result of his career in France today, finishing the Kreiz Breizh Elites stage race in France in fourth position; the same spot on general classification he started this morning’s final stage.
His An Post-Chainreaction team mate and fellow international, Conor Dunne was again on the attack today after animating the finale on Saturday, eventually claiming 5th and the climbers' jersey on the day after a solo escape of around 30km was scuppered by a four-man chase group.
The foundation of Wilson’s overall result in the UCI 2.2 ranked race came on the opening stage on Saturday, when he was in the second group on the road.
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It was a day when the field split and Wilson’s An Post-Chainreaction team mate Conor Dunne was in the aforementioned five-man breakaway.
Wilson was 10th on that opening stage and while Sunday morning’s road stage finished in a bunch sprint, meaning no change overall; Wilson was again to the fore in the afternoon stage.
With the early breakaway brought back mainly because of the riding in the bunch of former Irish champion Matt Brammeier’s Synergy Baku team, Wilson proved one of the strongest on the four passages of the finishing circuit.
Conor Dunne presses for home during his long solo move on Saturday's opener; he was caught, but only by four chasers (Photo with thanks to www.be-celt.com)
With a steep climb to contend with each lap, a breakaway group pulled clear second time up the climb and stayed away to the finish, with Wilson present in the escape.
A Dutch rider from the Rabobank Development Team, Timo Roosen jumped from the lead group in the closing kilometres and took a great stage win. However, the group containing Wilson was just 11 seconds behind.
The Irishman took the initiative and charged for the line, holding off the others for second on the day. Great Britain criterium champion and renowned sprinter Graham Briggs (Rapha Condor JLT) was just behind in third place.
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The time gained on that stage 3, coupled with his 10th spot and time gained on most of the field on stage 1, saw Wilson jump to fourth overall just 13 seconds off race leader Matteo Busato (MG Kvis-Willier), who was in the winning five-man breakaway with Dunne on Saturday.
Today’s final stage of 175km, over undulating terrain and with two categorised climbs, ended in a sprint from a depleted peloton, with Wilson again in the mix in the finale and taking 10th place.
It meant he retained his fourth place overall. Of the four stages, he was 10th twice and also took 2nd place on stage 3.
Dunne may not have been as highly placed in the overall, but he rode extremely well, going clear in his solo breakaway for around 30km on Saturday’s opener. He attacked a lead group of 22 that dominated that stage and which included Wilson.
While Dunne was caught with 12km to go by four chasers and had to settle for fifth on the stage, he took the climbers’ jersey and was also 12th on yesterday’s evening stage.
He went on the attack again today; infiltrating a chase group that caught a three man breakaway that was clear for around 160 kilometres.
However, the enlarged front group was caught in the finale, paving the way for a sprint from a depleted bunch.
We’ll bring you news of Dunne’s final placing as well as that of Brammeier and Daniel Stewart; the Irish U23 international from East Antrim Audi CC who rode the race with French team Hennebont Cyclisme.
Daniel Stewart has become a regular Irish U23 iternational is earning his spurs on the Continent (Photo with thanks to www.be-celt.com)
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