TNN Works for Megias at Circuit Sarthe Queen Stage

06 April 2017

Race: Circuit Cycliste Sarthe-Pays de la Loire, stage 3

Start/Finish: Angers-Pre-en-Pail/St. Samson Mont des Avaloirs

Distance: 190.3km

Pre-en-Pail/St Samson Mont des Avaloirs, France — The Queen Stage of the 65th Circuit Sarthe put Team Novo Nordisk on the road to Mont des Avaloirs and more than 2800m of climbing on Thursday, under sunny skies and a light wind in the heart of western France.

A 7-rider breakaway quickly established a 3-minute advantage on the long, straight roads through budding forests, with French teams eager to capture valuable National Cup points at the intermediate sprint and mountain finishes. Once accomplished, the peloton quickly moved to bring the escapees back into the group before six laps on a hilly 10km circuit.

A new breakaway of 11 formed in the finishing laps, and French rider Lilian Calmejeane was too fast for the peloton, winning ahead of his countryman Julien Simon. Dutch rider Jetse Bol was third to complete the podium.

Team Novo Nordisk Sport Director Lionel Marie

“Our objective today for Javi was to protect him until the finish, and then let the sun shine all over the climbs. The team did a good job to keep him safe against the French teams all moving in for a good position, and we are happy with the progression of his form. In Croatia and eventually California he will be in very good shape. For the rest we did our best to support them for the climb, and with 2800m of vertical ascent this was definitely a day for climbers.”

Javier Megias

“We did this race a few years ago, but the finish was at the bottom of the climb. So today’s finish was really nice at the top. We were luckier with the weather this year, but it’s a beautiful race anyway. I really like the narrow roads, the crowds and the good stages. The attacks all started when we passed the finish line for the second time, and the guy who won was really fast. We couldn’t catch him. He’s from here, so he had a lot of motivation to do well.”

The world’s first all-diabetes pro cycling team will race all week in France at the Circuit Cycliste Sarthe-Pays de la Loire.