April 7, 2005 – Several attacks and a few last-ditch efforts in the 195.4km third stage of the Circuit de la Sarthe stage race in northern France, were all for nought as the pack pulled together in the closing stages for a sprint finish won by Damien Nazon (Credit Agricole) ahead of Andris Nauduzs (Naturino Sapore).

Canadian Michael Barry (Discovery) finished the stage comfortably in the pack in 25th. With German Uwe Peschel (Gerolsteiner) dropping out of the top ten, Barry improved by one position overall in a tie for 10th, 18 seconds behind race leader Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis).

The race concludes tomorrow with the fourth and final stage, 180km from Sablé-sur-Sarthe to Le Mans, and Barry’s in a strong position for a run at the overall – in the hilly final stage his Discovery team has four riders in the top ten. The last North American to win the Circuit was a young American neo-pro: Greg LeMond.

Circuit de la Sarthe
Stage 3: Angers РSabl̩-sur-Sarthe, 195.4 km
1. Damien Nazon (Fra) Crédit Agricole 4.35.50
2. Andris Nauduzs (Lat) Naturino Sapore
3. Pieter Mertens (Bel) Chocolat Jacques – Wincor Nixdorf
4. Giairo Ermeti (Ita) Miche
5. Volodymyr Bileka (Ukr) Discovery Channel
6. Yuriy Krivtsov (Ukr) AG2R Prévoyance
7. Maarten Wynants (Bel) Chocolat Jacques – Wincor Nixdorf
8. Sébastien Joly (Fra) Crédit Agricole
9. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Bouygues Télécom
10. Markus Fohten (Ger) Gerolsteiner

25. Michael Barry (Can) Discovery Channel

General classification after stage 3

1. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis 11.31.23
2. Markus Fohten (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.05
3. Alberto Martinez (Spa) Agritubel 0.08
4. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Discovery Channel 0.10
5. Volodymyr Bileka (Ukr) Discovery Channel 0.11
6. Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu) AG2R Prévoyance 0.13
7. Eddy Seigneur (Fra) RAGT Semences – MG Rover 0.14
8. Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Discovery Channel
9. Laurent Brochard (Fra) Bouygues Télécom 0.15
10. Florent Brard (Fra) Agritubel 0.18
11. Michael Barry (Can) Discovery Channel