Liam O’Brien is out of the Tour de l’Avenir, with compatriot Seth Dunwoody also forced to make an early exit from the French race (Photo: SWPIX)
Liam O’Brien (Lidl Trek Future Racing) was fancied to come into his own as Tour de l’Avenir progressed through the opening flatter stages and onto the climbs, where he excels. Instead, the Cork man is out of the race.
And while the event began with four Irish riders, we are now down to two as Seth Dunwoody (Bahrain Victorious Devo) is also out; the Armagh man suffering a nasty injury.
He was involved in a crash on stage 2 and took a chainring to the shin, causing an injury that was too severe to allow him continue.
That’s a blow to Dunwoody in what was his second appearance in the race, and perhaps his last as he may step up to World Tour level as soon as next season.
Still, he has already taken top results this year, including 2nd in the U23 versions of Paris Roubaix and Gent Wevelgem.
He was also crowned European U23 champion on the track, won the Irish elite road race title and also smashed the Irish 10 mile TT record.
Dunwoody also has time to regroup after this injury and go again this season, though Tour de l’Avenir would have been ideal preparation for the Worlds in Canada.
While he got to at least start the second stage of the French race before being forced out, O’Brien was even more unfortunate.
When the results showed he was 23 minutes down on stage 1, that looked like trouble, especially for a rider who went into this race capable of a final general classification podium.
There were multiple crashes on that opening stage, which conspired with the crosswinds to split the race.
O’Brien was the victim of one of those crash incidents. And while he limped into the stage finish in Argentan, after 152km of racing, he was towards they very back end of the field.
It was no surprise then that he did not start the next day.
Hopefully he can recover and get enough quality miles and efforts in before his scheduled appearance for Ireland at the Worlds next month.
Yesterday, Saturday, at stage 3 at Tour de l’Avenir – 231km from Vierzon to Saint-Vallier – the honours came down to a bunch sprint, won by Davide Stella (UAE Team Emirates Gen Z).
The two Irish riders still in the race, David Gaffney and Adam Rafferty, both of Hagens Berman Jayco, were 88th and 123rd. Gaffney finished in the bunch and Rafferty was at 1:32.