Matt Higgins of Node4 Giordana Racing Subaru Third in Tour of Ulster
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Matt Higgins looked to be leading the Node4 Giordana Racing Subaru team to another stage race win in Northern Ireland last weekend when he led the Tour of Ulster into its fourth and last stage.
Two Irish riders however, Adam Armstrong and Ryan Sherlock, turned the race on its head by breaking away and building up a six minute lead on Higgins on the 66 miles stage. Higgins, who has been on good form since going part time enabling him to build in more rest into his training programme, was fourth on stage one in a breakaway group.
He took over the yellow jersey on stage two where he was second in the torrential rain as part of a ten man break which built up a lead of 1.06 over the 67 miles. He confirmed this on the short evening time trial. This meant he went into the final stage with 20 seconds lead. But despite a strong team of James Moss and Rico Rogers,(Philip Lavery had retired due to illness on stage one), Higgins found himself isolated.
Higgins closed down an early breakaway on stage 4 but was unable to respond when Sherlock and Armstrong attacked and while Sherlock took the stage, Armstrong won the race for the second time with Higgins at 4.36 in third place overall and James Moss, winner of the Tour of the North at Easter, eighth at 10.11.
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