Blain Endura a tough time

FRENCHMAN Alexandre Blain was again the star man for the West Lothian cycling outfit, Endura Racing Team in yesterday's third stage at the Tour of the Mediterranean in France, writes COLIN RENTON.

The 28-year-old former Cofidis rider had seen his bid for success the previous day thwarted by a steward who sent him the wrong way. However, he shrugged off that disappointment yesterday and again found himself among the contenders for the win in the 111 kilometre stage from Greasque to Six Fours which featured three tough climbs and a seaside finish. Although he was outsprinted, Blain shared the same time as stage winner Yauheni Hutarovich (Francaise des Jeux) who posted his second success of the week.

Blain is just over two minutes down on leader on Jussi Vaikkanen and on track for a top-20 finish when the race concludes tomorrow with a stage that features a gruelling ascent of Mont Faron, providing he negotiates today's penultimate stage unscathed.

Scots Evan Oliphant, Ross Creber and Gary Hand all finished safely but James McCallum failed to start after crashing on stage two. Conditions throughout the race have been difficult, a fact underlined when the riders realised that their drinks bottles had frozen.