Connor McConvey looked to have a stage win in France in the bag today but just came up short (Photo: Tour de Normandie)
Ireland’s Connor McConvey went agonisingly close to landing arguably his biggest ever result today but was pegged back within sight of the line on the fourth stage of the UCI 2.2 Tour de Normandie.
The Belfast man came within 100 metres of victory when he launched a late bid for glory on the stage into Bagnoles-de-l’Orne but was mopped up by a fast-finishing bunch.
His despair was tempered by the fact his teammate Nicolas Vereecken won the sprint and is now just 10 seconds off the race lead.
McConvey, meanwhile, was 12th at 2 seconds and is now 34th overall at 32 seconds, meaning it’s still very much all to play for with two stages remaining.
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The former An Post Chainreaction and Synergy Baku man has been aggressive throughout the week so far and as well as being well-placed overall he’s four points off the mountain’s jersey.
Riding for Belgian Continental outfit Team 3M this year, McConvey is keen to rediscover the form he showed in 2013 when he finished on joint time as the winner of the An Post Rás.
Irish champion Ryan Mullen tries to get up the road in a breakaway at the Tour de Normandie (Photo: Tour de Normandie)
“Today was the best day in the team so far, it was a great day,” he told stickybottle tonight.
“The plan was to ride for Nicolas and the team were in the front all day, playing the other teams and we were all there to support him in the final.
“There was a really technical, hilly finishing circuit and a few attacks went off.
“Two guys got away with 3k to go so I jumped across and then there were two of us up the last 1-kilometre climb.
“We turned a corner at 150 metres to go and that’s where they caught us, just after that.”
Though he was gutted not to taste victory, his teammate - also a former An Post Chainreaction man - did the business in the gallop.
“Nicolas finished it off. Selfishly, from my point of view I was disappointed not to have my first stage win but for the team it was perfect.
Stacey Kelly feeds one of her An Post-Chainreaction charges on the road in France.
“It worked out well, we’re high up on GC and it was just nice to be at the pointy end again.”
McConvey has spent the winter in Girona again and believes he’s getting back to somewhere near his best form.
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“I’d say I’m getting there. I was a bit nervous before this week because I did nothing on the bike for a week due to sickness but I’ve just got better as it’s gone on.
“The plan for the rest of the race now will be to try not to ride.
“We don’t have the jersey but when we get close to the final we’ll try and have as many in the front and just play the cards.
“Nicolas is the best we’ve got but we’ve a few cards to play.”
After Normandie, McConvey races the Limburg Classic (UCI 1.1) on Easter Saturday before building up for the team’s two major goals of the season; the Tour of Belgium and the Olympia Tour.
Tour de Normandie, Stage 4
l'Aigle - Bagneres-de-lOrne, 167.5km
1 Nicholas Vereecken (BEL) Team 3M 4:06:59
2 Jeremy Cornu (FRA) @s/t
3 Owain Doull (GBR) Team Wiggins @s/t
12 Connor McConvey (IRL) Team 3M @2secs
86 Ryan Mullen (IRL) An Post Chain Reaction @4:02
105 Dominic Jelfs (IRL) Madison Genesis @s/t
124 Conor Dunne (IRL) An Post Chain Reaction @11:56
General Classification
1 Dmitri Claeys (BEL) Verandas Willems Cycling Team 17:15:00
2 Daniel Hoelgaard (NOR) Team Joker @7secs
3 Tom Bohli (SUI) @9secs
34 Connor McConvey (IRL) Team 3M @32secs
60 Ryan Mullen (IRL) An Post Chain Reaction @4:22
103 Conor Dunne (IRL) An Post Chain Reaction @15:46
105 Dominic Jelfs (IRL) Madison Genesis @17:39
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