By Shane Stokes
For the second day in a row, an overseas Rás Tailteann debutant has landed victory in a sprint to the line. This time it was from a bigger 62-man group, with Australian rider Matthew Fox (UK: Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli) getting the better of Patrick O’Loughlin (Team Ireland), Matteo Cigala (Carlow: Dan Morrissey – Primor Pissei) and the others.
The 20 year old got things perfectly right in the finale, making the most of his preferred discipline. “Sprinting is my thing, more than anything else,” he told Stickybottle after the podium presentation in Barefield, Ennis. “I do like to get involved in them, for sure.
“The last few kilometres were really nervous. The whole run off of the [final] climb was just attacks after attacks. There was a headwind and it kind of neutralized it. I followed a couple of attacks, but then with 8Ks to go or so, I thought ‘we'll go all in for the sprint and see what we can do.’
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His teammates backed him in that, something which helped in what was a tactically crucial finale. “The team brought me into a good position with 500 to go and then I just followed the wheels,” he said.
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Fox has never been to Ireland before and describes this, his first Rás, as a race which has been ‘really good so far.’
Next up is trio of stages which could come down once again to gallops to the line. Friday’s stage is, according to race director Ger Campbell, one for the sprinters. While it includes two category three climbs it is otherwise flat and fast, running 149.3 kilometres from Ennis to Castlebar.
Stage four includes just three category three climbs, although Campbell said that it features heavy roads which could break things up and reduce the numbers of those in the running for the day’s victory. It ends with a 300 metre uphill finish into Monaghan. The final stage on Sunday is mainly flat and while Kevin McCambridge won with a superb solo move last year, a big bunch gallop is very possible.
Fox said he is hopeful of more success in the days ahead. “There are a couple more stages to look at,” he said. “But we're also going to support the rest of the team. We've got a couple of boys up there close on the GC so hopefully we can make something happen there too.”
His teammates Jacob Smith and Tom Martin are 12th and 15th overall, 20 and 23 seconds back respectively.
