The An Post Chain Reaction Sean Kelly team are in action on stage four of the Tour de Normandie (2.2) in France. Yesterday saw Owain Doull hang on to sixth place in a bunch sprint, despite getting caught up in a crash just 600 meters from the finish.
Kurt Bogaerts, Team Manager felt this was a good result with the team working together for one rider all day.
"We are happy with the sixth place finish even though we think we could have placed higher but for the crash.
Also Jon McCarthy is coming back from surgery on a broken hand and is doing well with his conditioin improving every day. It was a gamble as to whether to race him but it seems to be the right one so far."
Bogaerts suggested that everything will change by the end of today's stage as weather conditions are poor, with low temperatures and snow making the action tough going.
Sean Downey is the sole Irish representative on the team which includes Britons Mark McNally and Owain Doull, Irish-born Australian rider Robert Jon-McCarthy and the Belgium duo of Laurent Vanden Bak and Wout Franssen.
The riders line out today (Friday) for stage four of the gruelling seven-day event.
Team for Tour de Normandie (2.2) March 24 – 30, 2014
- Sean Downey (IRL)
- Mark McNally (GB)
- Owain Doull (GB)
- Robert Jon-McCarthy (AUS)
- Wout Franssen (BEL)
- Laurent Vanden Bak (BEL)