ROWE LYING SECOND IN TOP JUNIOR STAGE RACE

Luke Rowe lies second overall going into today?s final stage of the Tour du Pays de Vaud, a junior stage race held near Lausanne in Switzerland.

Rowe, 18, who rides for Rapha-Condor-Recycling, is part of six-man Great Britain squad taking part in the race.

It kicked off on Thursday with a five-kilometre team time trial in Moudon. Great Britain finished fifth behind the winning Italian team.

The following day, Rowe was second in the 114-kilometre stage two that started and finished in Cossonay.

He finished in a group of five that were just four seconds behind the stage winner Moreno Moser.

Moser is the nephew of the great Francesco Moser and son of Diego, who was also a professional in the early 1970s.

Rowe?s team-mate, Erick Rowsell (brother of world team pursuit champion Jo) was seventh, just ten seconds back.

A Swiss rider, Claudio Imhof won the 79-kilometre stage 3a, but Moser and Rowe finished together, third and fourth, 28 seconds back. Again Rowsell made the front group, finishing 12th.

Saturday?s stage b was an 8.9-kilometre individual time trial. America?s Taylor Phinney, son of former 7-Eleven professional Davis Phinney and 1984 Olympic road race champion Connie Carpenter-Phinney, was the fastest. Phinney is set to be part of the United States Olympic team in Beijing in August.

Rowe was second, 13 seconds back, with Moser a further nine seconds behind. It meant Rowe closed the gap overall to just two seconds.

Rowsell was fourth in the time trial and is now third overall going into Sunday?s final stage.

Sunday?s final stage is a 117-kilometre road stage.

TOUR DU PAYS DE VAUD

Overall classification with just Sunday?s stage remaining

1. Moreno Moser (Italy) in 5-11-27

2. Luke Rowe (GB) at 2sec

3. Erick Rowsell (GB) at 23sec

18. Mark Christian (GB) at 1-51

101. Chris Whorrall (GB) at 20-39