Normandie: Two top 10s for British Teams

2014_August_Prendas_Bannerr4

Tom Stewart of Madison Genesis was 6th and Seb Mora (Raleigh GAC) 9th on Tour de Normandie’s penultimate stage

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Normandie: Two top 10s for British Teams

British teams got two riders into the top 10 on the Tour de Normandie’s penultimate stage on Saturday. Madison Genesis’s strongman Tom Stewart elevated himself into 11th overall whilst Raleigh GAC’s world champion Seb Mora from Spain was 9th and now 15th overall.

The Tour de Normandie’s penultimate stage finally delivered the long-predicted chaos for which it is famed. “It was the weather we’ve all been waiting for” was Stewart’s assessment of proceedings. It’s good fun when the racing is like that, there’s bodies everywhere and the wind is blowing as you race down farm lanes and over hills”.

“When it’s really hard like that it is only the strongest left in the race and you roll the dice and see what happens. It was nice to get in the top ten but I would have preferred to do a bit better.”

A day with barely a flat stretch of road, coupled with brisk winds, rain and a testing finishing circuit combined to finally break the collective will and legs of the peloton. Tom Stewart reveled in the tough conditions and made the most of his chance to show the form which landed him a strong result in the prologue five days previous. Sixth on the stage and part of the lead group on the road secured Stewart’s place in the realm of contenders on a day where many lost minutes.

Erick Rowsell was one of those dumped out of contention – a puncture at the worst possible moment ending his hopes of remaining in the race. The general classification shake-up left just 18 riders a minute adrift of stage winner and new yellow-jersey Baptiste Planckaert, when – 24-hours earlier – nearly 60 men had been within 60 seconds.

With the forecast predicting further inclement weather, the expectation is for the final stage to be selective one again – something which Stewart welcomes. “I’m still feeling strong and the outcome of tomorrow’s stage and the race will be decided by wind direction – that’s all that matters.”

STAGE RESULT

1. Bapiste Plankaert, Wallonie

6. Tom Stewart, Madison Genesis
9. Sebastian Mora, Raleigh GAC
13. Ali Slater, JLT Condor
16. James Shaw, Lotto Soudal
27. Matthieu Boulo, Raleigh GAC
45. Conor Dunne, JLT Condor
65. George Pym, Raleigh GAC
67. Richard Hepworth, Raleigh GAC
72. Ed Laverack, JLT Condor
80. Jack Escritt, Raleigh GAC
101, Morgan Kniesky, Raleigh GAC
112. Luke Grivell-Mellor, JLT Condor
113. Erick Rowsell, Madison Genesis

GC
1. Bapiste Plankaert, Wallonie
10. James Shaw, Lotto Soudal
11. Tom Stewart, Madison Genesis
15. Seb Mora, Raleigh GAC
18. Ali Slater, JLT Condor

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