Mark Scanlon showed fine form in advance of the Elite World Championship road race next Sunday when he finished an excellent third in the Tour de la Somme in France yesterday.
The 24-year-old placed third on Friday's 160km first stage from Amiens to Chaulnes, crossing the line two seconds behind his Ag2R Prévoyance team-mate Erki Pütsep and Bretagne-Jean Floc'h rider David Le Hay.
The trio were part of an eleven man breakaway group which went clear early on in the stage, opening up a huge lead over the main field. By the finish Pütsep, Le Hay and Scanlon were almost 17 minutes clear of the peloton, with the rest of the break finishing up to two minutes and 48 seconds behind the stage winner.
Pütsep and Scanlon then came home as part of the main bunch yesterday morning, crossing the line seven minutes and 37 seconds behind the stage winner Lars Boom (Rabobank Continental) and two others.
A total of ten riders finished ahead of the main bunch but with Scanlon's break having gained so much time on day one, there was no threat to his third place overall.
The final stage yesterday afternoon went to another Rabobank Continental rider, Tom Stamsnijder.
He was five seconds clear of second-placed Emilien Berges (RAGT Semences), with the main field being led home by Aleksandr Usau (AG2R Prévoyance) a further 45 seconds later.
Pütsep and Scanlon finished fifth and 32nd respectively, thus preserving their first and third places overall.
Scanlon will line out alongside Ireland team-mates David McCann and David O'Loughlin in the elite world championship road race this day week. The Sligoman won the world junior championships seven years ago.
