Three weeks after the first post about smaller junior races i have decided to add few more since the season got under way pretty heavy now with more and more junior races run every week.
Tour du Canton d’Aurignac is the first event of Challenge National Juniors series of racing in France. Most of the top French juniors showed on the startline in Boussan for two day event with time trial on saturday and road race the day after. Corentin Ermenault from Picardie have won the time trial and become the first leader. Ermenault continues his impressive series of results after being fifth in Bernaudeau Junior and seventh in Paris Roubaix. Rayane Bouhanni (younger brother of Nacer) was second and Valentin Madouas was third.
The rainy stage two won Dorian Godon, 3" ahead of Madouas and 5" ahead of Cedric Le Mouel. Peret Peintre was fourth. Corentin Ermenault didn't finish the second stage and Madouas have won the GC ahead of Jeremy Defaye and Sebastien Havot.
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| Dorian Godon (photo: u19racingteam.fr) |
Tour du Léman juniors is a montainous stage race held on the boarder of France and Switzerland around the Geneva Lake with pretty solid lineup with juniors from France, Switzerland and Italy on the start. In 2013 Aurelien Peret-Peintre was the final winner. Yuri Colonna from Team Franco Ballerini have won the first stage, 12km long time trial in Aigle. Another Italian Andrea Biondi won the second stage after two men sprint against Swiss Patrick Müller. Colonna finished in the bunch and kept the leader's jersey.
The next day we had an interesting stage: 9,6km road race on the ascent of Montée de la Coisette. Victor Lafay from France have won with over a minute advantage on another Frenchman Gabin Fine and Patrick Müller. Colonna finished nineth and was dropped to fourth place in GC. Lafay become the new leader. The final stage won Alessandro Mariani with Lafay winning the overall ahead of Müller and Martin Schaeppi.
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| Final podium |
More info about the race on the website: Tour du Léman
Ster Van Zuid-limburg is probably one of the most important non uci rated races for juniors. Held in Belgium always brought up solid international field. The 35th edition of the race run in South Limburg was a three day event with 6.8 km time trial as an opener in Borlo. If there was a time trial in Belgian race who else could win it if not the current World Champion ? Decraene have beaten Senne Leysen by 11 seconds and Bryan Bousser by 13. The second stage around Landen ended with successful breakway of five riders. Maxime De Poorter have won the stage ahead of Jonas Gregaard and Kenny Molly. Decraene wasn't the part of escape and lost his leader's jersey to Martin Palm who finished fifth on the stage.
The final stage ended up with reduced sprint from a group of around thirty riders. Robbe Ghys was the fastest. The bonification gave him seventh place in the overall and the jersey for best young rider. Martin Palm finished safely in the bunch and won the GC ahead of Gregaard and Decraene. There was a long list of junior's big names on the start in Borlo like Shaw, Kreder and Pedersen but they didin't manage to beat the locals and finished little further in the overall without stage win either. Decraene was third also in 2013 edition where he was beaten by two Danes: Egsvang and Mads Pedersen.
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| Robbe Ghys winning the final stage (photo: cyclingsite.be) |
Results and more info: Ster Van Zuid-limburg
Meanwhile despite the crash Decrane defended his title in Belgium National Championships in time trial. Martin Palm was second and Sene Leysen third. It was already fifth win for Decreane this season.
Adrien Costa maintains the status of one of the biggest cycling talents after winning three (from five) stages in Tour of Gila.
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