Joe Cooper
(Photo: Enthuse; click to enlarge) |
Joe Cooper from the Subway - Avanti Pro Cycling team won his third stage yesterday to move into the top three overall at the Air France Tour of New Caledonia.
Stage four saw the first tough hill climbing of the tour and Cooper took full advantage to claim his third stage win to move within striking distance of retaining the tour title he won last year.
“We helped control the start to the first big climb of tour,” team mate Nick Lovegrove said. “Once there it was left to Joe to do the business on the climbs, and he did.”
Frenchman Poulizac Ronan leads the tour with Cooper now two minutes and 12 seconds behind but with several hard mountain stages to come there is confidence he can still defend the title he won last year.
Lovegrove finished 20th yesterday six minutes and 40 seconds after Cooper.
“The yellow jersey has changed hands each day of the tour. It is hard to control with only small teams and strong competition but we’re pretty happy with where we are sitting at the moment with the harder stages to come on days six, seven and eight,” Lovegrove said.
“All going well Joe is confident he can make up the time on the hilltop finishes and is feeling good after four days of racing.”
Lovegrove remains 10th on general classification, nine minutes and 4 seconds down with a third member of the Subway - Avanti Pro Cycling team Ryan Wills sitting 35th on general classification twenty seven minutes off the lead.
Today’s 88 kilometre flat stage five starts in Koumac and goes through -Branch Poum and Koumac before finishing in Voh.
