Cycling: Endura bid to shine in France

THE West Lothian cycling outfit, Endura Racing Team, will be looking to build on recent successes when eight of the squad's riders line up for tomorrow's Tour du Finistere in France.

The Endura line-up features former world track champion Rob Hayles, who is joined by in-form trio Jack Bauer, Alex Blain and Evan Oliphant.

Bauer, the New Zealand road race champion, underlined his quality with a solo win on the final stage of the recent Tour Doon Hame, with Capital-based Oliphant finishing fourth overall, while Blain – a winner in Spain last month – will be keen to make an impression back in his native France. Also in the team for the 199.3 kilometre event, which starts and finishes in Quimper, are English trio Ian Wilkinson, Scott Thwaites and James Moss, and Welsh champion Rob Partridge.

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The same eight riders will be back in the saddle on Sunday for the 193 kilometre Tro Bro Leon, which is likened to the Paris-Roubaix Classic because of the cobbled sections on parts of the route.

Among the big names the Endura men will face over the weekend are 2008 Tour of Britain winner Romain Feillu (Vacansoleil) and Sebastien Hinault (AG2R), who was ninth in last weekend's Paris-Roubaix.