As the leaders glided across the finish line in Aviles of Stage 1 of the Transgascogne 2017 this afternoon, Ireland’s Tom Dolan has had the torture of seeing a place on the podium slip through his finger by just one second writes W M Nixon. Dolan’s elapsed time was recorded as 2 days 3hrs 41 minutes and 46 seconds. Germain Kerlevo in Astrolab Expeditions, one of a group who had come up with a new zephyr of wind, was recorded at 2 days 3 hours 41 minutes and 45 seconds to take third, while Dolan was fourth
The very light airs at the end meant that elapsed times generally were artificially stretched, with winner Clarisse Cremer – who had been closely ahead of Erwan le Draoulec at the end – recorded as having finished more than an hour ahead of him, while Le Draoulec in turn was more than an hour ahead of Kerlevo. Yet all had been within a very few miles of each other throughout the final stages. Thus it’s extraordinary that a gap of just one second could be found between third and fourth. Truly a photo finish. The photographs will be examined with special interest. Meanwhile, our thoughts are with Tom Dolan - he sailed good race, but the chips fell the wrong way at the end.
