Damien Shaw comes over the line in Ballinamore looking like he left everything on the road today; it was a cracking ride in anyone's language (Photo: Paul Mohan - Sportsfile)
By Brian Canty
Damien Shaw admitted while he was disappointed not to win the sixth stage of the An Post Rás yesterday he said he got the best result he could.
The Team ASEA man has had an injury-ravaged year so far and as well as his bad crash in the final metres of the Visit Nenagh Classic last month where he broke a bone in his shoulder he’s also hit the deck at the Tour of Ulster and on the track back in January too.
Because of those setbacks he came into the Rás a little undercooked but showed his class on the longest stage of the race today, almost taking a famous win.
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The Mullingar man said he had to play it cute from the outset so as to be in contention.
“I’ve had a few rough weeks with injuries and I just knew if I was to put in a lot of effort every day I wouldn’t have the potential to get up in a stage," he said.
"So I’m trying to make smart decisions rather than decisions with my heart."
Shaw receives his county rider prize on the podium; pictured with Miss An Post Sinead Flynn (Photo: Paul Mohan - Sportsfile)
“It was pure chance the way I took the corner on the wheel of the Condor-JLT guy (Ed Laverack) and he attacked.
“I stayed with him, Ian Bibby (NFTO) came over to us and we got to work straight away.
“I knew I wasn’t going to get a result from a 12-13 man group so we just committed to a steady tempo and it just suited me.
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Coming to the line with Bibby and Laverack, Shaw felt good but lacked the kick of the former, who has really been on fire in the UK this year.
“It was always going to be hard to beat him (Bibby). He’s full-time bike rider and I wouldn’t win a sprint on a Sunday race not to mind in the Rás.
“At that stage it was just about getting the best result I could.
“I committed to it and I did all I could. It was a fair result, maybe next year I can get to the top step.”
Shaw, left, is forced to look on as UK pro rider Bibby takes the stage; it is a moment that will undoubtedly haunt the Mullingar man (Photo: Paul Mohan - Sportsfile)
“It’s hard to sit back in some of the groups but it’s a good decision sometimes.
“There’s no point in me going up the road on a really hard day with the level of fitness I have,” he added.
“I knew the GC was fairly settled and if the right mix was in the break it wouldn’t be chased today and there’d be the right opportunity to come out of a small group which is the only way I’m going to get up in a stage.”
That’s exactly how it played out with a 13-man group working well together all day…or at least until the attacks started on the final climb of the day.
“In the last 10-20k coming off the descent of the last climb I was lucky to get back on with 2 or 3 others."
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