Rory Townsend takes solid result in France, boxed in at finish | Video

Rory Townsend looked like he would have done much better but for being boxed in and having to dart across the road looking for a way out

Rory Townsend (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) has been enjoying some very strong late season form, with no fewer than four top 10 finishes at the recent Tour of Britain, and the former Irish champion was back at it in France again today.

He took a solid 12th place in the 198.8km Grand Prix d'Isbergues (UCI 1.1) but looked like he would have gone much closer to victory but for being badly boxed in at the finish.

Finding himself on the left side of the bunch, with a packed front line of the group just ahead, Townsend tried to dart to the opposite side of the road looking for clear run at the line.

However, he ran out of road to make it count and had to be content with 12th, with the race won in a bunch sprint by Arvid de Kleijn (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) from Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ) and Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Wanty).

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Dillon Corkery (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93) was also in action today, finishing in 79th place, just 22 seconds down on the winner and at the back of the bunch. Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) was named on the provisional start list but did not ride the event.

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Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ) was the sole Irish representative in the women's race in 131km women's race in Isbergues, which also came down to a sprint from a reduced bunch.

It was won by Dutch rider Maaike Boogaard (AG Insurance-Soudal Team) from Victoire Berteau (Cofidis Women Team) and Alba Teruel (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi).

Gillespie, who was riding her first road race in almost three months after recent track focus for the OIympics, finished in 55th, at the back of the bunch and some 14 seconds down on the winner.

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