“At times us county riders hold back, afraid of blowing; Dunne’s win is a lesson to us all”

A seasoned and tough campaigner, Fraser Dunan of Eurocycles took the county rider award today and is second in that classification after two stages (Photo: www.blackumbrellaphotography.com)

 

By Brian Canty

It’s his fifth time doing the Rás and Bangor native Fraser Duncan believes he’s in the best condition ever for the country’s showpiece event.

The Eurocycles man underlined that today when he forged his way into the day’s decisive break and stayed there to the finish in Nenagh, crossing the line in 17th place, 46 seconds behind stage winner Shane Archbold.

Duncan also collected the county rider prize for the day and lies second in that category overall, 33 seconds behind Sunday’s stage winner Conor Dunne (Iverk Produce Carrick Wheelers).

“I was happy enough with today,” said Duncan.

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“It’s always good to get something out of it. You don’t really expect anything in this race. So much can happen. It’s down to a bit of luck and having legs at the right time and that’s the way it panned out today for me.”

Indeed, Duncan clipped away with seven other strong riders to make an eight-man lead group by the 90 kilometre mark.

More would join and the gap swelled to over half a minute but then when more again came across, the rhythm of the break was disrupted.

“I was hoping to keep a bit calmer for the first few days until these flat days are over but the way it unfolded it was a good time to go; wee groups just clipping off the front with (Ronan) McLaughlin and a few others,” was his assessment of how he got into the break.

“It was a pity we were joined by more who came across to us. I suppose that’s what happens. At the start it was bad, when there was about 25 guys there was a lot attacking but the bigger the group got the more steady it got and the more organised it got. From the last 40 kilometres there were lads riding through. I wasn’t feeling too bad because it was a flat enough day,” he continued.

In there were some big hitters, the likes of Sam Bennett and McLaughlin, stage winner Archbold, Ben Greenwood (Scotland National Team), Jacob Nielsen (Blue Water Cycling), Richard Tanguy (UK Youth) and a host of others.

And while he said it’s easy to be intimidated being in such company, he stresses that county riders like himself shouldn’t be afraid.

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“To some extent you are intimidated, you’re always holding a wee bit back in case you blow but maybe we shouldn’t be after what Conor did on Sunday.”

Duncan missed out on a higher placing when the group split when he went back for a bottle. But he said he wouldn’t have had the legs to go with any more moves.

“When the wee split happened I was back getting water off the car at the time so I don’t think I’d have had the legs to have gone with that. So I was happy where I was. But I got something out of today. There were a couple of other county men in there so I’m happy enough.”

“But I don’t think I’ll be in the running for the county rider jersey though, once we hit Wednesday I’ll start losing a lot of time I reckon.”

Here's a short video interview with Duncan, and you will see the full county rider results just below this video.

 
County Rider Result, Stage 2

PL No. Name TM Time
1 108 Duncan,F = 3h24’43"
2 164 Dunne,C @
3 91 Lacey,S @
4 140 McCrystal,B @
5 92 Shaw,D @
6 97 McIlwaine,D @
7 136 Aiken,R @
8 131 Behan,D @ 15"
9 151 Nulty,J @ 01’24"
10 95 Fenlon,J @ 01’24"
11 120 Sheehan,G @ 01’24"
12 107 Martin,T @ 01’24"
13 116 MacManusa,A @ 01’24"
14 175 Moynihan,C @ 01’24"
15 133 Frawley,L @ 02’28"
16 134 Joyce,D @ 02’28"
17 132 Clifford,E @ 02’29"
18 158 O’Connor,F @ 02’29"
19 118 Davenport,J @ 02’29"
20 114 Collis,C @ 02’58"
21 117 O’Donoghue,A @ 02’58"
22 101 Blayney,M @ 03’23"
23 160 Burke,A @ 03’23"
24 170 McCarthy,E @ 03’23"
25 93 Barrett,O @ 03’23"
26 148 Gilvarry,M @ 03’23"
27 111 Lynch,J @ 03’23"
28 129 Downey,E @ 03’23"
29 115 Morton,E @ 03’23"
30 143 Clarke,P @ 03’23"
31 146 Marrey,P @ 03’23"
32 159 Cox,S @ 03’23"
33 122 O’Leary,N @ 03’23"
34 112 Richardson,I @ 03’23"
35 102 Hanna,C @ 03’23"
36 105 Watson,D @ 03’23"
37 109 McMaster,J @ 03’23"
38 145 McCormack,G @ 03’23"
39 147 Flaherty,J @ 03’23"
40 144 Storan,M @ 03’23"
41 135 Ryder,M @ 03’23"
42 150 Quigley,M @ 03’23"
43 185 McCarthy,J @ 03’23"
44 142 Clarke,C @ 03’23"
45 181 Forde,N @ 03’23"
46 157 Reilly,C @ 03’23"
47 125 Duke,D @ 03’23"
48 137 Coyle,U @ 03’23"
49 126 Collins,A @ 03’23"
50 94 Barry,T @ 03’23"
51 110 Armstrong,A @ 03’23"
52 106 Murphy,C @ 03’23"
53 165 Fitzgerald,M @ 03’23"
54 153 Meehan,A @ 03’23"
55 161 Dempsey,J @ 03’23"
56 167 Fitzgerald,M @ 03’23"
57 152 Moriarty,E @ 03’23"
58 130 Crowley,A @ 03’23"
59 103 Henry,S @ 03’23"
60 154 O’Sullivan,S @ 03’23"
61 127 Collins,D @ 03’23"
62 171 Lavery,T @ 03’23"
63 121 Enright,S @ 10’24"
64 176 Cullen,B @ 10’52"
65 166 Butler,M @ 15’32"
66 113 Parker,B @ 15’32"
67 128 Connors,O @ 22’18"
68 99 Potts,M @ 22’18"
69 162 Lucey,M @ 22’18"
70 169 Ryan,S @ 22’18"
71 163 Mizgajski,M @ 22’18"
72 98 O’Hagan,N @ 22’18"
73 168 Slattery,M @ 22’18"
74 156 Robinson,C @ 22’18"
75 119 Moloney,B @ 22’18"
76 180 Coughlan,N @ 24’07"
77 96 McKinney,B @ 24’07"
78 155 O’Regan,T @ 24’07"
79 172 Conlan,G @ 24’07"
80 183 Bourke,T @ 24’07"
81 178 Dempsey,G @ 24’07"
82 177 Byrne,H @ 24’07"
83 100 Jeffries,O @ 24’07"
84 123 Doyle,M @ 24’07"
85 179 Whitty,D @ 28’01"
86 139 Quinn,C @ 28’01"
87 174 Sherman,M @ 28’32"
88 173 Power,F @ 29’03"

 

County Rider General Classification

PL No. Name TM Time
1 164 Dunne,C = 6h13’28"
2 108 Duncan,F @ 33"
3 91 Lacey,S @ 33"
4 136 Aiken,R @ 33"
5 92 Shaw,D @ 33"
6 151 Nulty,J @ 01’57"
7 95 Fenlon,J @ 01’57"
8 175 Moynihan,C @ 01’57"
9 107 Martin,T @ 01’57"
10 120 Sheehan,G @ 01’57"
11 116 MacManusa,A @ 01’57"
12 134 Joyce,D @ 03’01"
13 118 Davenport,J @ 03’02"
14 114 Collis,C @ 03’31"
15 117 O’Donoghue,A @ 03’31"
16 109 McMaster,J @ 03’56"
17 167 Fitzgerald,M @ 03’56"
18 170 McCarthy,E @ 03’56"
19 152 Moriarty,E @ 03’56"
20 93 Barrett,O @ 03’56"
21 129 Downey,E @ 03’56"
22 150 Quigley,M @ 03’56"
23 94 Barry,T @ 03’56"
24 105 Watson,D @ 03’56"
25 142 Clarke,C @ 03’56"
26 135 Ryder,M @ 03’56"
27 181 Forde,N @ 03’56"
28 106 Murphy,C @ 03’56"
29 161 Dempsey,J @ 03’56"
30 165 Fitzgerald,M @ 03’56"
31 157 Reilly,C @ 03’56"
32 110 Armstrong,A @ 03’56"
33 153 Meehan,A @ 03’56"
34 154 O’Sullivan,S @ 03’56"
35 127 Collins,D @ 03’56"
36 111 Lynch,J @ 04’15"
37 97 McIlwaine,D @ 10’21"
38 140 McCrystal,B @ 11’42"
39 130 Crowley,A @ 13’44"
40 113 Parker,B @ 16’05"
41 131 Behan,D @ 18’42"
42 133 Frawley,L @ 20’55"
43 132 Clifford,E @ 20’56"
44 158 O’Connor,F @ 20’56"
45 148 Gilvarry,M @ 21’50"
46 112 Richardson,I @ 21’50"
47 101 Blayney,M @ 21’50"
48 146 Marrey,P @ 21’50"
49 144 Storan,M @ 21’50"
50 143 Clarke,P @ 21’50"
51 122 O’Leary,N @ 21’50"
52 159 Cox,S @ 21’50"
53 147 Flaherty,J @ 21’50"
54 145 McCormack,G @ 21’50"
55 185 McCarthy,J @ 21’50"
56 137 Coyle,U @ 21’50"
57 125 Duke,D @ 21’50"
58 103 Henry,S @ 21’50"
59 171 Lavery,T @ 21’50"
60 168 Slattery,M @ 22’51"
61 163 Mizgajski,M @ 22’51"
62 169 Ryan,S @ 22’51"
63 128 Connors,O @ 22’51"
64 155 O’Regan,T @ 24’40"
65 176 Cullen,B @ 29’19"
66 166 Butler,M @ 33’59"
67 115 Morton,E @ 35’09"
68 160 Burke,A @ 35’09"
69 102 Hanna,C @ 35’09"
70 126 Collins,A @ 35’09"
71 99 Potts,M @ 40’45"
72 98 O’Hagan,N @ 40’45"
73 162 Lucey,M @ 40’45"
74 156 Robinson,C @ 40’45"
75 121 Enright,S @ 42’10"
76 100 Jeffries,O @ 42’34"
77 123 Doyle,M @ 42’34"
78 178 Dempsey,G @ 42’34"
79 139 Quinn,C @ 46’28"
80 119 Moloney,B @ 54’04"
81 96 McKinney,B @ 55’53"
82 183 Bourke,T @ 55’53"
83 180 Coughlan,N @ 55’53"
84 177 Byrne,H @ 55’53"
85 172 Conlan,G @ 55’53"
86 179 Whitty,D @ 59’47"
87 174 Sherman,M @ 1h00’18"
88 173 Power,F @ 1h00’49"

 

 

 

 

 

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