Colbrelli, Bole put best performance

Manama : Bahrain’s Merida Pro Cycling Team rider Sonny Colbrelli from Italy and Slovenian Grega Bole put in the best performances of the eight remaining team members for the Kingdom yesterday after completing the third stage of the 104th Tour de France over 212.5km Verviers in Belgium and going through Luxembourg to Longwy in North Eastern France.

Colbrelli finished in 5 hours 7 minutes and 58 seconds for a 61st place and finished 39 seconds behind the stage winner Peter Sagen of Slovakia (5:07:19), while Slovakian Grega Bole (+0:51) was 62nd overall.

Bahrain’s other riders were classified as, Yukiya Arashiro (80th, Japan, +1:37), Janez Brajkovic (86th, Slovenia, +1:49), Ondrej Cink (87th, Czech Republic, +1:49), Tsgabu Grmay (109th, Ethiopia, +1:49), Javier Moreno (173rd, Spain, +4:14) and Borut Bozic (185th, Slovenia, +9:28).

Meanwhile, Bahrain’s ninth team member Spaniard Ion Izaguirre who was forced to withdraw during the opening stage in Dusseldorf, Germany after suffering a lumbar fracture of the lower spine is set to undergo surgery.

Today, the fourth stage takes the remaining (195) riders over 207.5km on a flat course (wholly) in France from Mondorf-les Bains to Vittel.