The Scottish-based UCI Continental team, Endura Racing, has continued its impressive early-season winning streak.
Ian Wilkinson won yesterday’s third stage of the Tour de Normandie, a short 61km parcours from Forges-les-Eaux to Gaillon, the first of two stages the same day. The 32-year-old Lancastrian infiltrated a breakaway group of five riders after 16km, and kicked from the front to win.
Wilkinson said: “The whole team is flying at the moment, so I’m really happy to contribute further to Endura Racing’s success.”
In the afternoon stage, a 100km ride from Aubevoye to Elbeuf-sur-Seine, the Scottish team rode a controlled race, propelling Wilkinson to fifth on general classification with four stages to go.
Meanwhile, a separate squad of Endura Racing riders, led by UCI Europe Tour leader, Jon Tiernan-Locke, winner of the Tour du Haut Var and the Tour of the Mediterranean, rode strongly on the split opening stage of the UCI 2.1 category Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali in Italy.
Tiernan-Locke, who leads the UCI Europe Tour, Rene Mandri, Iker Camaño, and Paul Voß finished in the lead group on the morning stage with the same time as stage winner, Elia Viviani (Liquigas).
The team then raced to second place in the afternoon’s team time trial, beaten only by UCI Pro Continental squad, Team NetApp, and now have four riders in the top 10.
