An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly team rider Niko Eeckhout has moved back up to an excellent second overall in the Etoile de Bessèges in France, taking fourth place on today’s 148 kilometre stage to Ceze.

Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis) was first to the line, leading home the ongoing race leader Borut Bozic (Vacansoleil) plus the rest of the main field.

Eeckhout sprinted in fourth, following up on his second place on Wednesday and his third place yesterday.

Once the time bonuses were taken into account, the Belgian rider moved up a place to second overall. He’s now 16 seconds behind Bozic, who is growing in confidence each day.

Dumoulin and Arnaud Molmy (Robaix Lille Metropole) are also 16 seconds back, sitting third and fourth in the general classification.

The three Irishmen in the race did not sprint today, with Eeckhout’s team-mates Connor McConvey and Paídi O’Brien plus Nicolas Roche (Ag2r La Mondiale) all saving their energies for the final two stages. They finished in the same time as Dumoulin, though, as did the rest of the An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly team riders.

Pieter Ghyllebert and Kenny Lisabeth both crashed during the stage; Ghyllebert went down coming off the final climb, while Lisabeth hit the deck in the sprint. Both were relatively uninjured, though, and will start tomorrow.

“It was another tough day and it’s great to see the team keep the momentum going,” said the manager Kurt Bogaerts. “Tactically we were spot on and Niko has every chance going into the weekend.”

Roche is best-placed of the Irish riders in the general classification. He is 51st overall, 26 seconds back, while McConvey and O’Brien are 101st and 109th respectively. As each stage has finished in a sprint, the overall placings are not an accurate gauge of current form.

The 2.1-ranked race continues tomorrow with a 148-kilometre stage to Ales.


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Etoile de Bessèges, France (2.1, February 3- 7):

February 5, Stage 3: Gran Prix du CC Rhone - Ceze-Languedoc:

1, Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis, Le Crédit en Ligne) 148 kilometres in 3 hours 24 mins 36 secs
2, Borut Bozic (Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team)
3, Tom Veelers (Skil-Shimano)
4, Nico Eeckhout (An Post-Sean Kelly)
5, Mathieu Ladagnous (Française des Jeux)
6, Fabien Bacquet (BigMat-Auber 93) all same time

Other:

55, Pieter Ghyllebert (An Post - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly)
64, Marc Mc Nally (An Post - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly)
80, Connor Mc Convey (An Post - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly)
94, Paidi O'Brien (An Post - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly)
95, Stijn Minne (An Post - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly)
101, Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale)
122, Kenny Lisabeth (An Post - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly) all same time
132, Maxim De Busschere (An Post - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly) at 15 mins 10 secs


General classification after stage 3:

1, Borut Bozic (Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team 1) at 34 mins 37 secs
2, Niko Eeckhout (An Post - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly) at 16 secs
3, Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis Le Credit En Ligne)
4, Arnaud Molmy (Roubaix Lille Metropole) both same time
5, Julien Loubet (AG2R La Mondiale) at 21 secs
6, Floris Goesinnen (Skil - Shimano) same time

Other:

51, Nicolas Roche (AG2R La Mondiale) at 26 secs
67, Pieter Ghyllebert (An Post - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly)
68, Marc Mc Nally (An Post - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly)
75, Kenny Lisabeth (An Post - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly)
101, Connor Mc Convey (An Post - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly)
103, Stijn Minne (An Post - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly)
109, Paidi O'Brien (An Post - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly) all same time
132, James Vanlandschoot (Verandas Willems) at 15 mins 36 secs
134, Maxim De Busschere (An Post - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly) same time

Points classification:

1, Borut Bozic (Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team) 70 pts
2, Niko Eeckhout (An Post - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly) 50
3, Arnaud Molmy (Roubaix Lille Metropole) 36

Mountains classification :

1, Laurent Lefevre (Bbox Bouygues Telecom) 12 pts
2, Benoît Vaugrenard (Francaise Des Jeux) 8
3, Sander Armee (Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator) 6

Teams classification:

1, Big Mat - Auber 93, 31 hours 45 mins 9 secs
2, Roubaix Lille Metropole
3, Skil – Shimano, both same time

Other:

12, AG2R La Mondiale
14, An Post - Grant Thornton - Sean Kelly

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