Connacht team rider Mark Scanlon placed an excellent second on the second stage of the Essor Breton race in Brittany today. The former world junior champion broke clear with five other riders towards the end of the 155 kilometre race, and in the ensuing sprint, finished just behind winner Frank Laurance of the Brittany Super U team, who succeeds Team Seat’s Fredie Ravelau as the overall leader.
Scanlon is now 10th in the general classification going into tomorrow morning’s 26 kilometre team time trial, 1 minute and 6 seconds behind Laurance. The 20-year-old is leading the young rider competition and is also 6th in the points ranking. However, his prospects of defending the former took a blow when three of the Connacht team – Michael Devins, Dave Nugent and crash victim Vincent Gleeson - were eliminated after finishing outside the time limit on the first stage. Scanlon’s Connacht teammate David O’Loughlin was 35th on the stage and lies 34th overall, while Nigel Forde placed 79th today.
Elsewhere in France, Team Ireland rider Michael McNena today slipped out of yellow in the Elan Varois race in St Raphael when his VC La Pomme team lost the team time trial by just two seconds to the French Police squad. However, there was some consolation when his team-mate Tommy Evans rode strongly in the afternoon stage to finish third overall. Stephen O’Sullivan, who along with the other two riders is funded through the Team Ireland set-up, was in a breakaway for much of today’s afternoon stage but was recaptured inside the final 25 kilometres.
Filed by Shane Murray
