21 year old Erick Rowsell (Endura Racing) continues to impress as he finishes second on stage 3 of the Tour De Bretagne
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In a race where the weather is as much a factor in shaping the way the races are unfolding as the terrain and the attacking racing is, Endura Racing got no less than three riders into the top ten on stage 3, Erick second, Dean Windsor 9th and Jonny McEvoy 10th.
It took quite a while today for a break to go, around 50 kilometres says Erick, when five riders escaped and opened up a gap of around three minutes on the peloton where the yellow jersey team took up the chase until the race got to the finishing circuit.
“When we got to the finishing circuit, all of Endura Racing were at the front because the roads were quite twisty†Erick explained adding that it was the safest place to be on such roads. The break though still had over a minute with only 20 kilometres to go and so more teams came to the front to help the chase including Rabobank.
Endura Racing also rode with them a bit to help bring the break back but as the leading group came into view with the gap coming right down, Erick jumped away on his own and that ability to time trial, he did a 19.20 on Saturday for 10 miles, helped him close the gap down to the break.
As Erick got to them, there was the classic text book move of attacking straight away and going clear. One rider remained in front of Erick though.
“I carried on riding as there was one rider who had got away on his own and I bridged the gap to him. It took a lot out of me to bring him back though as he was riding really strongly. I caught him with about 6k to go and I tried to go straight past him but I couldn’t get rid of him. He just sat on me for the rest of the lap. I think I got two turns out of him before he then outsprinted me!â€
“I could have sat up and let the bunch catch us and get no-where or keep riding and chance my luck in the sprint which is what I did. I got some time back on the overall which was good.†Erick is 11th and both he and Rob Partridge (currently the KoM leader)  are in contention for the overall with some mountain stages to come.
“Every day has been real hard†says Erick of the stage race. “Today has probably been a little bit easier because we had a head wind all day. The other days, we have had cross winds and that’s made for really nervous racing where everyone has wanted to be at the front so it’s been quick as well. So it’s the weather that has made it hard. It’s also been wet for the three days as well as windy.â€
Erick admits that before DoonHame, he hasn’t been out on the bike and not got wet! Every race he’s done has been wet as has every training ride … The joys of being a pro bike rider!
The next four days he says are certainly going to be the hardest as the race hits the mountains but after a brilliant start to the year, Erick has no reason to fear anyone or any terrain. “I have certainly had good form, pretty much from the start of the year but it’s only really come good since Normandy. “
Erick winning at DoonHame after a stage win at the Tour of Normandy…Â
“To get that win there gave me the momentum to carry it on. For me, it was important to get a good result early in the season just for my own confidence.â€
With all the podiums that Erick has had in races abroad and in Britain at DoonHame, he has certainly been another of the revelations from Endura Racing team in 2012 and is hoping that these results do not go unnoticed by GB and also by other WorldTour teams such as Sky.
Whilst Erick and others like Scott Thwaites are rightly annoyed at being left out of the GB team for races like the Under 23 Tour of Flanders, Erick did explain that he’s really pleased with the race programme that Endura Racing have given him. Events that Endura Racing won’t be riding though, like the European and World Championships, are races that Erick would like to be given a chance in as well as the Tour de Avenier.
With the GB Academy down to just two riders, Mark Christian (AN Post/Dolan Bikes) and first year senior, Ali Slater who rode for Hargroves Cycles in 2011 in the Tour of Bretagne, Erick’s results surely deserve some reward from his National Federation!
STAGE 3
1 Thomas Vaubourzeix La Pomme Marseille 03:34:48
2 Erick Rowsell Endura Racing @ same time
3 Maxime Le Montagner Team Véranda Rideau-U 00:05
4 Yannick Martinez La Pomme Marseille @ same time
5 Eugenio Alafaci Leopard TREK @ same time
6 Benoit Drujon Big Mat – Auber 93 @ same time
7 Steele Von Hoff Chipotle – First Solar @ same time
8 Michael Baer Atlas Personal – Jakroo @ same time
9 Dean Windsor Endura Racing @ same time
10 Jonathan Mcevoy Endura Racing @ same time
25 Scott Thwaites Endura Racing @ same time
33 Mark Christian An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton – S… @ same time
51 Rob Partridge Endura Racing @ same time
96 Alistair Slater (GB) @ same time
97 Julien Gonnet Armée De Terre @ same time
98 Ludwig Laffile Cc Nogent-sur-oise @ same time
99 Guillaume Malle Team Véranda Rideau-U @ same time
100 Julien Jegou BIC 2000 @ same time
101 Pirmin Lang Atlas Personal – Jakroo @ same time
102 Cédric Delaplace @ same time
103 Anthony Colin Roubaix РLille M̩tropole @ same time
104 Guillaume Louyest @ same time
105 Albain Cormier Cc Nogent-sur-oise @ same time
106 Mathieu Desniou Cc Nogent-sur-oise @ same time
107 Olivier Chevalier Wallonie Bruxelles РCr̩dit Agricole @ same time
108 Benoit Jarrier Team Véranda Rideau-U @ same time
109 David Chopin Hennebont Cyclisme @ same time
110 Joel Zangerle Leopard TREK @ same time
111 Jay Mccarthy Team Jayco Skins @ same time
112 Maxime Renault @ same time
113 Florent Mallegol BIC 2000 00:26
114 Florian Salzinger Atlas Personal – Jakroo 00:28
115 Kevin Lalouette Roubaix РLille M̩tropole 00:29
116 Tomasz Olejnik Team Véranda Rideau-U 00:35
117 Dimitri Champion Bretagne Schuller @ same time
118 Thomas Scully Chipotle – First Solar 01:33
119 Stéven Le Vessier 02:07
120 Bradley Potgieter Team MTN Qhubeka @ same time
121 Vincent Ragot 06:58
122 Yann Guyot Armée De Terre @ same time
OVERALL AFTER 3 STAGES
1. Benjamin Le Montagner 11:17:07
2. Eric Berthou Bretagne Schuller 00:07
3. Vegard Breen Team Joker – Merida 00:12
11. Erick Rowsell Endura Racing 00:28
14. Rob Partridge Endura Racing 00:33
44. Mark Christian An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton – S… @ same time
57. Scott Thwaites Endura Racing @ same time
77. Dean Windsor Endura Racing 01:49
115. Alistair Slater 13:48
120. Jonathan Mcevoy Endura Racing 19:30
Mountains
1. Rob Partridge, Endura Racing
