Conn McDunphy vaulted into the race lead of the Rás Tailteann on Saturday, seizing yellow with just one stage remaining thanks to a brilliant performance through the Wicklow Mountains.
The Dubliner, who finished second overall two years on exactly the same time as the race winner, had started Saturday's stage 14 seconds behind the race leader Tim Shoreman.
However he believed he was a stronger climber than the Briton and duly proved that on what was a very demanding day over eight tough ascents.
Shoreman was dropped on the Wicklow Gap and McDunphy set about gaining as much time as possible, bridging across to a breakaway group on the first category climb.
Also present in the move was eventual stage winner Tom Martin (UK: Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli), Irish riders Ewan MacKie (Connaught Cycling) and Ruairi Byrne (UCD Cycling Club), plus Rowen Baker (IOM: Cycling Club Isle of Man), Joshua Dike (Natural Greatness – Rali Alé) and Karl Hall (Germany: Hucare Factory Team).
McDunphy knew he was riding into yellow and did most of the work from there towards the finish.
Shoreman’s UK: Wheelbase Cabtech Caselli teammate Tom Martin then attacked with five kilometres remaining.
The Briton outsprinted Joshua Dike of the Spain: Natural Greatness Rali Alé team to the line, with an exhausted McDunphy rolling in sixth, 27 seconds back.
He slumped to the ground and remained there for several minutes, recovering from his effort and also processing what is his first-ever yellow jersey in the race.
"I’ve never gone that hard in my life. At the start of the day I was really angry because they took out the Shay Elliott climb," he said, referring to the decision made last night to remove the Glenmalure climb due to a dangerous surface on the descent.
"In the end it didn’t matter. I am lost for words. I went so deep, I was cramping everywhere. Coming in the road I got dropped from the group. I hope I did enough."
He did, and will begin Sunday’s final stage from Carlow to Dunboyne 52 seconds ahead of Martin. Two other riders are less than two minutes back, making for an exciting finale to the prestigious five day event.
Martin had a free ride in the group due to his teammate Shoreman leading overall. Cycling tactics dictate that a teammate should not contribute to a breakaway if a teammate is trying to defend the race lead, meaning he was able to preserve his energy for a late attack.
He made clear that McDunphy had done a lot more work than he had.
"He was driving it all, and obviously I got a free ride all day," he said. "It is such a hard situation when you have got your teammate in yellow. Obviously we wanted to defend that. I was hoping that I would come across with Tim but obviously that wasn’t how it played out."
McDunphy and his USA: APS Pro Cycling team will try to keep a tight control on things on Sunday in order to ensure he becomes the first Irish winner since Dillon Corkery in 2023.
Stage 4, Carlow to Baltinglass (136.5km)
1 Tom Martin (UK: Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli) 136.5km in 3 hours 12 mins 42 secs
2 Joshua Dike (Spain: Natural Greatness Rali Alé) at 2"
3 Rowen Baker (IOM: Cycling Club Isle of Man) at 23"
4 Ewan MacKie (Connaught: Cycling Connaught)
5 Karl Hall (Germany: Hucare Factory) both same time
6 Conn McDunphy (USA: APS Pro Cycling) at 27"
7 George Peden (UK: Team PB Performance) at 1’36
8 Willem O’Connor (Cork: O’Leary Stone Kanturk) same time
9 Patrick O’Loughlin (Galway Bay CC) at 2’20
10 Matteo Cigala (Carlow: Dan Morrissey)
11 Ivan Linser (USA: Cyclesport.com)
12 Luke Gibson (UK: O’Neills Spirit Racing Team) both same time
General classification after 4 stages
1 Conn McDunphy (USA: APS Pro Cycling) 14 hours 22 mins 29 secs
2 Tom Martin (UK: Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli) at 52 secs
3 Ewan Mackie (Connaught: Cycling Connaught) at 1'31
4 Rowen Baker (IOM: Cycling Club Isle of Man) at 1’45
5 Danylo Riwnyj (UK: Foran CT) at 2’02
6 Willem O’Connor (Cork: O’Leary Stone Kanturk) at 2’26
7 Adam Lewis (USA: APS Pro Cycling) at 2’28
8 Joshua Dike (Spain: Natural Greatness Rali Alé) at 2’49
9 Niek Hoornsman (Netherlands: West Frisia) same time
10 Matteo Cigala (Carlow: Dan Morrissey) at 3’56
11 Liam Flanagan (USA: APS Pro Cycling) at 4’00
12 Zachary Walker (IOM: Cycling Club Isle of Man) at 4’02
