Conor McGoldrick has won the opening stage of this year's Ras Tailteann in a three-up sprint to the line following a cracking first day from Navan to Birr.
The 25-year old from the UK, came to the line along with Dan Gardner (Embark Spirit BSS) and Joe Laverick (Derry Foyle CC) and was quickest of the trio at the end of the 154km contest.
They came in a handful of seconds ahead of around 20 other riders who managed to put significant daylight into the peloton behind.
The riders covered over 47km in a first hour of racing characterised by a number of crashes which split up the peloton as they hurtled towards the first of three intermediate sprints.
These were ferociously contested because of the time bonuses on offer - three, two and one seconds respectively, for the first three over the lines at Longwood (22km), Milltownpass (46km) and later Mountmellick (99km).
Those three Hot Spot sprints served as an appetiser for the day´s category one climb with 25km remaining - the category one ascent of Wolf Trap Mountain.
At that point, it was clear McGoldrick was on a very good day as he crossed the summit first with a gap of around 30 seconds to those who would eventually join him, Gardner and Laverick.
Behind them, there was a group of around 10 riders featuring two of the strongest riders on the domestic scene, defending champion Daire Feeley (Cork All Human/VeloRevolution) and Conn McDunphy representing Cycling Leinster.
McGoldrick took a fine win - and a hefty 10-second time bonus for his stage win, meaning he´s the man to beat tomorrow and in the days ahead.
But he can expect plenty challengers and chief among them will be the aforementioned Feeley and McDunphy,
The latter eventually crossed the line outside the top 10, but courtesy of some time bonuses scooped up on the stage he will start tomorrow fifth on General Classification and he´ll also wear the blue County Rider jersey.
Feeley was seventh on the stage, just seven seconds down on the stage winner and he´s 10th overall at 20 seconds.
Cormac McGeough is the best-placed Irishman in fourth at 14 seconds while Aaron Wade and Dillon Corkery of the Irish National team are both inside the top 10, at 18 and 19 seconds, respectively.
Tomorrow´s stage will be another tough day in the saddle as the race departs Birr and makes its way along the rolling roads of North Tipperary, skirting Lough Derg before taking in the category three climb in Portroe and crossing the Shannon into Killaloe.
The final part of the stage could be very telling with three quick-fire category three climbs and the category two Maghera Mast climb all featuring in the space of 30km.
There's a relatively flat final 25km into the finish at Barefield, and despite some large time gaps today, it's still very much all to play for.
