GreenEdge rider Luke Durbridge won the Stage 2b time trial and the leader’s yellow jersey at the Circuit Cycliste Sarthe-Pays de la Loire cycling race, giving GreenEdge two wins out of three stages in the five-stage event.
Durbridge won the stage despite suffering with a sore knee. “I came to the Circuit de la Sarthe with good form, but I didn’t expect to win. I have a sore knee ” Durbridge told Cyclingnews.com “This morning I thought of pulling out of the race. I’m glad I didn’t because now I’m the winner of the time trial. I’m very happy. I switched off the pain during the time trial.”
The afternoon time trial followed Stage 2a, 87.8 kms from Riaillé to Angers, with a single categorized climb right in the middle. That stage was won by Garmin-Barracuda’s Michael Kreder. The stage ended in a bunch sprint but race leader Denis Galimzyanov of Katusha had gotten caught in a crash seven km from the finish, leaving the field open for Kreder to take the win.
