Cycling’s fastest sprinter, Mark Cavendish displayed the speed which earned him four stage victories at this year’s Tour de France when he triumphed on the opening leg of the Tour of Ireland today.
The 23-year-old Isle of Man rider benefited from some strong work by his Columbia team-mates who hauled back a dangerous breakaway group and then helped Cavendish back into the main field when he lost contact on the very undulating run-in towards the finish in Waterford.
Once inside the final kilometre, Cavendish used his superb sprinting ability to thunder in ahead of Julian Dean (Garmin Chipotle), Alexander Kristoff (Joker Bianchi), Boy Van Poppel (Rabobank) and the rest of the 60-man peleton, capturing the first yellow jersey of the race.
Belgian Kurt de Schrooder of the Irish-registered An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly team was sixth, while Ciarán Power was best of the home riders in 19th place.
Compatriots Dan Martin (Garmin Chipotle H30), Stephen Gallagher and Mark Cassidy (both An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) and Roger Aiken (Irish national team) also finished in the main bunch after what was an unexpectedly tough opening stage.
Following several short-lived breakaway attempts, a longer-lasting move clipped away around Laragh, 37 kilometres after the official start near Dundrum. Travis Meyer (SouthAustralia.com), David George (MTN South Africa) and Irish rider Martyn Irvine (Pezula) built a 15-second advantage and were joined soon after by Matt Wilson (Team Type 1).
The quartet worked well together and by the time Irvine won the hot spot sprint in Rathdrum (km 48.7), they were seven minutes 20 seconds clear. This went up to a maximum of seven minutes 43 seconds 70 kilometres into the stage.
Irvine was dropped before the day’s category one climb of Mount Leinster, where Wilson beat George for the prime and started the run of points which would see him end the day in the King of the Mountains jersey.
The latter was then dropped at the An Post hot spot sprint in Borris (134.8km after the start), leaving just Wilson and Meyer up front.
The duo rode strongly together but were eventually hauled back inside the final ten kilometres, ensuring a big bunch sprint and Cavendish’s 14th victory of the season.
Thanks to the time bonuses, the Columbia rider ended the day four seconds ahead of Kristoff and a further one up on Dean.
The 2.1-ranked international race continues on Thursday with an undulating 158 kilometre stage from Thurles to Loughrea. It runs until Sunday.
