Russell Downing is 2nd overall in Circuit Des Ardennes

In the French stage race 38th Circuit Des Ardennes International, after two stages today, and two second places, Russell Downing of Endura Racing finished in … drum roll…. second overall… He does win the Points & Combine jerseys though! 

OTHER STAGES: Stage 1 Victory for Russ Downing | Stage 2 – 4th for Russell 

Circuit des Ardennes

Photo: Circuit des Ardennes – Hervé Dancerelle | www.circuitdesardennes.fr

Russ Downing finished 2nd in the Circuit des Ardennes (UCI 2.2) in Northern France on Sunday, only narrowly missing out on adding the overall title to his win in the Friday’s opening stage. Russ took the leader’s yellow jersey on the attack on Saturday’s 171km second stage with the aim of mopping up time bonuses, but was unable to chase down stage winner André Steensen (Glud & Mastrand).

Sunday featured a split stage with a 25km team time trial and Endura Racing piloted their Giant Trinity Advanced SL’s to 2nd place on the stage behind Itera-Katusha (Russia). In the afternoon’s road stage, Endura Racing were again in the thick of the action with Rene Mandri in an early break and although he was soon caught, the move provided a springboard for a break including Paul Voß to move clear.

As the stage progressed, Paul picked up valuable bonus seconds and was the virtual leader with just 35km of racing to go. However, as the lead group hit the hilly back end, two riders made for the line just as the break was swept up by the peloton. Stéphane Rossetto (CC Nogent sur Oise) was able to hold on for the win as Russ Downing emerged from the bunch to claim 2nd place. Russ’s 2nd place on the stage was enough to secure 2nd on GC @ 4secs as well as the points jersey.

That winning feeling — Russell Downing in Ardenness. Circuit des Ardennes – Hervé Dancerelle | www.circuitdesardennes.fr

Endura Racing’s next races are the three day Vuelta a Castilla y Leon (UCI 2.1) in Spain which starts on Friday and the Tour du Finistère and Tro-Bro Léon (both UCI 1.1) in northern France over the weekend.

STAGE 3A Team Time Trial

1. Itera – Katusha 00:30:48

2. Endura Racing @ 10 seconds
Paul Voss, Russell Downing, René Mandri, Zakkari Dempster, Jack Anderson

Stage 3B
1. Stephane Rossetto Cc Nogent-sur-oise 02:49:05
2. Russell Downing Endura Racing 00:17
3. Tim Wellens Lotto – Ridley Espoirs @ same time
4. Henry Frusto Team Nippo @ same time
5. Eric Berthou Bretagne Schuller @ same time
6. Marek Rutkiewicz CCC – Polkowice @ same time
7. Sebastien Harbonnier Armée De Terre @ same time
8. Daan Olivier Rabobank Continental Team @ same time
9. Joshua Berry Chipotle – First Solar @ same time
10. Flavien Dassonville Big Mat – Auber 93 @ same time

21. Paul Voss Endura Racing @ same time
48. René Mandri Endura Racing @ same time
53. Zak Dempster Endura Racing @ same time
69. Jack Anderson Endura Racing 01:50
70. Alexandre Blain Endura Racing @ same time

OVERALL
1. Marek Rutkiewicz CCC – Polkowice 11:43:30
2. Russell Downing Endura Racing 00:04
3. Vyacheslav Kuznetsov Itera – Katusha 00:19
4. Andrey Solomennikov Itera – Katusha @ same time
5. Andre Steensen Glud & Marstrand 00:29
6. Ruslan Tleubayev Continental Team Astana 00:35
7. Pavel Kochetkov Itera – Katusha 00:38
8. Tim Wellens Lotto – Ridley Espoirs 00:39
9. Matthias Allegaert Ovyta – Eijssen Acrog 00:49
10. Vladislaw Gorbinov Continental Team Astana 00:55

17. Paul Voss Endura Racing 01:58
18. René Mandri Endura Racing 02:20
20. Zakkari Dempster Endura Racing 02:36
87. Alexandre Blain Endura Racing 18:19
92. John Jack Anderson Endura Racing 21:34