Stage 5: Killorglin - Scariff, 155 Kilometres
It was a day for confirmation on the FBD Insurance Rás, with Simon Richardson and his Rapha Condor team showing that they have a strong control on the race, and Nicholas Walker illustrating that he is one of the best sprinters in the field.
The latter took his second consecutive stage win when he thundered home at the end of the 154.6 kilometre stage from Killorglin to Scariff, getting the better of quadruple Tour de France stage winner Jaan Kirsipuu (Norway Giant Veoila), former race leader Ian Wilkinson (Britain Halfords Bike Hut) and many others.
It’s very rare for someone to pull off back-to-back stage victories in the event, and the 20-year-old was delighted with what he had achieved.
‘I was a little bit ahead in the sprint but I saw Jaan [Kirspuu] coming back at me really, really quickly,’ he said. ‘I was able to hold on. I didn’t think I’d get one stage win, so I’m very, very pleased with two. Whatever happens in the rest of the race, I’m very happy regardless.’
Kirsipuu was a little disappointed not to add to his victory of Tuesday, but wasn’t too upset.
‘I started from a little way back and was trying to get through, but there were riders across the road,’ said Kirspuu.
‘I was waiting for a gap and when one opened, I was able to sprint properly. I was closing up but I ran out of time before the line.’
Wilkinson took third, riding well despite a crash earlier in the stage.
Paul Healion (Ireland national team) was best of the home riders in fifth, one place ahead of the ongoing points leader Russell Downing (Britain Candi TV Marshall’s Pasta), while Sam Bennett (Tipperary Dan Morrissey) and Daniel Clifford (Kildare Projector World) made it three Irish riders in the top ten when they netted eighth and ninth.
It was Bennett’s third top-eight finish in five days, marking a fine FBD Rás debut for the 18-year-old.
The Carrick on Suir rider is fourth in the Under-23 classification, second in the county rider competition and twentieth overall.
Wilkinson was, of course, happiest of all. One year ago he took his first major yellow jersey in this race, but lost it the following day. This time round, he and his team had a calm, assured ride, controlling the race with good tactics and expending far less energy than might have been expected.
Rapha Condor manager John Herety is one of the most experienced in the race and that showed. Instead of chasing down breakaway moves, the team took advantage of the fact that Darren Lapthorne and Chris Newton both started the day inside the top ten and simply tried to ensure that one or other of them got into each break that went clear.
That had a dissuading effect on potential escapees, who realised that the Rapha Condor riders would not have to work as Richardson was race leader, and that they’d most likely take the stage win or, even, the yellow jersey if it changed.
Newton did eventually get away in a long distance move, jumping with seven other riders at the 40 kilometre point.
Marking David O'Loughlin (Ireland An Post M. Donnelly Grant Thornton Sean Kelly), Morten Kruse Brink (Denmark Designa Kokken), Luke Roberts (Germany Kuota-Indeland), Rune Jogert (Norway Giant-Veolia), Rob Partridge (Britain Halfords Bike Hut), Pete Williams (Britain Candi TV Marshalls) and Eugene Moriarty (Meath Engraveit.ie/BDBC), he and the group gained two and a half minutes and caused a stir behind.
This forced the Denmark Designa Kokken and Austria Arbo KTM Junkers teams of Mads Christensen and Jan Barta to ride, as they realised that second and third place overall could be lost.
The net effect? Simply that Rapha Condor had to do very little and could remain fresh for the final three stages.
‘The jersery was never really under threat,’ said Richardson. ‘The only one who could get close was my own team-mate. The break got two minutes tops, and Chris was more than that behind [in the overall standings]. Anyway, everything went to plan today. As much as possible we had a fairly easy day in the bunch, as KTM and Designa Kokken did 90 per cent of the work to bring that break back.
‘At the end, there quite a few last-minute attacks by the other contenders. So we had a bit of work to do then, but it all worked out fine.’
Former Olympic team pursuit champion Roberts attacked 35 kilometres from the finish, and was eventually joined by Newton and Mayo rider O’Loughlin. The latter took maximum points on the day’s second climb, the third category Barnagh Gap, and thus cancelled out the gains made by David McCann (Ireland National Team) when he took the earlier climb of Glansharoon.
O’Loughlin extended his lead over his closest rival, but the stage win was also a big goal. All three were however mopped up by the main bunch with about ten kilometres to go, setting things up for the duel between Kirsipuu and Walker and the latter’s second victory.
‘It was very frustrating,’ said O’Loughlin afterwards. I felt good today but we were caught. I’m feeling stronger each day, though, and so I will keep trying for a stage win.’
Providing he recovers in time, he may well try again on Friday’s mainly flat 159 kilometre leg to Castlebar.
It goes close to his hometown of Cong and he will be motivated to give it another shot. As for Richardson and the Rapha Condor team, they’ll be under more attacks from their general classification rivals, but will try to play things tactically once again.
Click here for a list of Rás competitors
