By Shane Stokes
Twice winner of the king of the mountains classification in the Rás, Dean Harvey showed the same uphill talent in Friday’s stage to Miltown Malbay.
The Team Ireland rider was clear for much of the stage in a dangerous move; dangerous for race leader Odhran Doogan, who had several key riders out front.
Harvey was riding strongly and had the horsepower to get back to the break after suffering a mishap. He and Jack Conroy (Bray Wheelers) crashed going through Ardrahan after 85 kilometres. Both chased and while Conroy slipped backwards, Harvey was able to rejoin before Kinvara, 93km into the stage.
“I got in the break pretty early. It wasn't really the plan, but I wasn't against it, so I went with it,” Harvey told Stickybottle after the stage. “I was just doing as little as I could, then I actually crashed in the break. Thankfully I wasn't too bad.”
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He clearly wasn’t: once onto Corkscrew Hill Harvey went clear on the climb and reached the summit well ahead.
He had a lead of 26 seconds over eight chasers and continued solo for a while. However there was a headwind and this eventually saw him go back to the group.
The move didn’t work, but he fully intends to try again.
“The legs are good. I've known that,” Harvey said. “Trying to find the right moment to use them is the challenge. So maybe (Saturday), with the climb near the finish, could be a better opportunity.”
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Harvey came into the race intending to go for the general classification. He told stickybottle as much after stage one, but things unravelled the following day when he missed the day’s big move.
Ireland teammate Jamie Meehan was there, and this explains in part how Harvey was absent.
“We were kind of taking it in turns [to go with attacks], and then I wasn't in the position to go with the one that went,” he said. “I maybe hesitated a bit too much and ended up missing out. So it's how it goes.”
Backing off when a teammate is going up the road is sometimes a requirement. Still, he feels there are more pluses to being on a strong squad. “It can work against you, but it’s more a benefit,” he said.
Two days remain and Harvey wants to take something big out of the race.
“I’d really like a stage win,” he said. “And then also to help Jamie with GC as well. That's what we've got still.”
Saturday’s stage to Mountrath is promising for a strong climber such as Harvey. The category one Wolftrap climb tops out 14km from the finish, making it a good place to launch a move.
Still, he points out that things may not be so straightforward.
“The thing is there's a lot of racing to be done before the climb. So it is still going to be a tough day.”
