Season's 1st stage victory for Shane Archbold

Archbold won in France today ©RoadCycling.co.nz (file photo)

Aug 16th, 11. With a helping hand from Marc Ryan, Shane Archbold finally got what he was after - his season's first international road victory.

The 22 year old won the final stage of the La Mi-Aout en Bretagne in France yesterday.

Archbold has been racing on the roads of Europe this international season as part of the BikeNZ endurance track team.  

He won the Points Classification in January's Trust House Tour in Wellington, NZ, then, after his track season, he began his international road season by taking the Points Classification in Ireland's An Post Ras in May.

In the Irish tour he finished second three times and had a day in yellow - but it was a stage win he really wanted.

In yesterday's fourth and and final stage of the La Mi-Aout en Bretagne he finally secured the win.

"It was awesome to look left and right and see nothing as I crossed the finish line," he told RoadCycling.co.nz about his clear victory in the bunch sprint.

"This win has been a long time coming with five 2nds in UCI races since the World Track Champs in March, and many other podiums in smaller races."

The 179km stage ended with ten laps of a 9km finishing circuit, each one had what Archbold called "a decent wee climb".

"Thankfully, with only 75 riders left in the race [from the original 119], I could ride wherever I wanted in the bunch - generally down the back! The last time up the climb was no different, I was one of the last wheels over the top of the climb," he said.

Fortunately for Archbold, fellow Timaru rider Marc Ryan was there to drag him back up to the front of the race. He was dropped off perfectly placed at the front of the peloton with 1km left to ride.

"I was second wheel going though 's' bends at 600m to go, and I opened up the tanks with 250m to go on a fairly decent drag to the line."

The Kiwi finished with a clear gap on the rest of the field.

Ryan finished with the bunch to end the tour 6th overall.

Archbold, who had travelled 850km from France back to his base in Belgium when he talked to RoadCyclling.co.nz, has one more week in Belgium before he starts his trip home. Before he gets back here though, he is stopping off in Australia to race the Tour of the Murray River.

Finally, after 28 weeks of living out of a suitcase, he will be back in New Zealand - but he will not be resting.

"On arrival home it will be straight into training for five weeks leading into the first of hopefully more Olympic training camps for me, and the business end of my season kicks off."