Former Irish national champion Damien Shaw continues to hold the race lead in the Tour du Loir-et-Cher in France, finishing safely in the main bunch in stage three to Vendôme.
His An Post-Chain Reaction teammates helped protect the overall advantage Shaw picked up after winning Wednesday’s opening stage.
He holds a 10-second advantage over his nearest rival heading into Saturday’s penultimate leg.
Meanwhile, Mark Downey's earlier success in track World Cups saw him marked out of contention in the points race at the World Track Championships in Hong Kong.
Downey tried repeatedly to get clear but was closed down each time.
“Every time I made a move it was counter-attacked. It’s frustrating, but it’s not the last chance I’ll ever have,” he said.
“Tomorrow morning I’ll be able to take positives from the race.”
He eventually finished 10th in the points race, while Ireland's Lydia Boylan was ninth in the women's omnium.
