Conn McDunphy (CC Nogent sur Oise) came close to taking a big win in France today as he finished in second place at the 40th edition of the Route Bretonne-Souvenir Loïc Le Flohic (National Elite), which took place over a 151.8-kilometre parcours between Grand-Champ and Saint-Avé (Morbihan).
The Irishman was just edged out for the win by Greek rider Stylianos Farantakis (VC Pays de Loudeac) in a two-up sprint. McDunphy had fought hard to get into the winning move having found himself in the third group on the road with sixty kilometres remaining. After making it to the front, he attacked and was joined by Farantakis. He tried to get clear of his breakaway companion but was unable to shake with the race coming down to a sprint. Florentin Lecamus-Lambert (Team Pays de Dinan) came in 25″ down to take third.
The former Lucan CRC rider has had a consistent start to the season, finishing top-30 in a number of other races he has competed in (including GP Puyloubier, GP du Pays d’Aix, Boucles du Haut Var III and Boucles du Haut Var I) but this latest result shows that his form is coming good in advance of his first big targets of the season, the Tour de Normandie.
Amongst the riders who have finished on the podium at Route Bretonne in previous years and gone on to race at WorldTour level are Julian Alaphilippe (2012), Valentin Madouas (2016), Olivier Le Gac (2013) and Johan Le Bon (2010) so McDunphy is in good company with his result.
2020 Route Bretonne Top-10:
1 FARANTAKIS Stylianos VC PAYS DE LOUDEAC 3h46’05”
2 MCDUNPHY Conn CC NOGENT / OISE st
3 LECAMUS-LAMBERT Florentin TEAM PAYS DE DINAN 00:25
4 DANES Leo UC NANTES ATLANTIQUE 00:41
5 LE PENNEC Guerand TEAM LA CREPE DE BROCELIANDE -BAUDEMER AUTO st
6 BALFOUR Stuart BOURG EN BRESSE AIN CYCLISME 00:52
7 DAUPHIN Florian SOJASUN ESPOIR ACNC st
8 PASTUREL Maxime VC PAYS DE LOUDEAC st
9 MARIAULT Axel UC NANTES ATLANTIQUE st
10 GUEGAN Mael SOJASUN ESPOIR ACNC 01:17
