By Shane Stokes
Aaron Wade may have started the final day of the Rás Tailteann one place and one second ahead of Ireland teammate Dillon Corkery but, rather than rueing what could have been a Rás victory for himself, he said that Corkery fully deserved victory.
The two riders were in the day’s key move on the final stage, with they and Cormac McGeough all real threats to the yellow jersey of Conor McGoldrick (UK: Trek Richardsons DAS).
Wade gave an insight from within that key break, saying that early on in the stage there were a flurry of attacks. “The yellow jersey was up there trying to cover a lot of them,” he told Stickybottle. “But eventually me and Dillon got it into a move that he didn't follow.
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"Everybody in the group worked pretty well together. We got the gap out to over three minutes once we got on to the circuit, and then from there, it's just kind of who can do the best sprint, get away from the others.”
The eventual Team Ireland Rás victory depended on three crucial steps, all of which panned out. The first was to gap McGoldrick and get into the day’s big move. The second was to open a substantial time gap and to fend off any comeback from behind.
The third was to then distance the rider who was ahead of Wade and Corkery in the break.
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Cormac McGeough had started the final day fourth overall, 14 seconds off yellow. Wade and Corkery were sixth and seventh, 18 and 19 seconds back.
Once they were sufficiently far ahead as to know the peloton wasn’t going to catch them, the third part of the plan swung into action.
“We were trying to drop Cormac [McGeough] because he was the virtual yellow while we were away,” Wade said. “He didn't follow Dillon's move. And so once that went away I could sit back and cover anything else that was going up the road. I just had to follow one of the Sheffield guys to keep my white jersey. So I did my job, Dillon did his job and we're going home happy. It worked out pretty well for us.”
Once past the finish line, Wade sought out Corkery and gave his teammate a huge embrace. He appeared delighted for the Corkman and proud of what they had achieved. In truth it could have been either of them going up the road from the break but, according to Wade, the right rider pushed forward.
“It was either/or [of us] but Dillon has a lot more power than me,” he said. “He can sustain a longer effort. So I had my money on him making the end move.”
Wade’s group was recaptured by the peloton and he ended up eighth overall. He was the winner of the Spin 11 Under 23 young rider competition, two seconds ahead of James Hartley (UK: Cycling Sheffield). He was also fifth on stage two, and leaves the race with a morale boost.
Still just 21 years of age, he will surely seize his own chances to win in the years ahead.
