A controversy has put a new man into the Rás race lead; he had plenty to say on the disqualified rider and says he's confident for a tough week ahead. Above, Lukas Postlberger of the Tirol Cycling Team after receiving the yellow jersey from local Tipperary postman Tom Cunningham, left, Miss An Post Rás Tracy Byrne, and stage finish organiser Pat Barragry (Photo: Paul Mohan - Sportsfile)
Shane Stokes
New Rás yellow jersey Lukas Postlberger has spoken about the disqualification of Francesco Reda handing him the race lead and his chances of defending the coveted jersey.
The Tirol Cycling Team rider was part of the 15-man breakaway group which gained serious time on Sunday’s stage, and pushed forward with Reda towards Carlow.
He was second in the sprint to the line and would normally have been second heading into tomorrow’s third stage, but had a surprise this afternoon.
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However, Reda was seen towing from his time car and ejected from the race.
“I didn’t expect it, the Italian got penalty time,” he told stickybottle.
“It is his fault and I am the lucky guy now. But I think my team-mates are going to hate me for the next six days or tomorrow, because they have to work a lot,” he laughed.
“We have no plan yet, we didn’t talk about it now, but we will try to keep it until the final.”
Lukas Postlberger is the new Rás leader, not only because of the disqualification of Francesco Reda but because he put in a storming ride on stage 1. He looks relaxed and sounds ready to make the best of the opportunity presented to him (Photo: Paul Mohan - Sportsfile)
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Asked what he saw of the matter with Reda, he said that he didn’t witness the pacing.
“It was narrow roads and he punctured. I just stayed in front in the first 20 guys in the group and a few minutes later he was already here,” he said.
“I thought, oh, it was fast, but I don’t know how he managed it. Maybe he got the first cars or it was possible to change fast. But I didn’t expect it.
“They told me on the ceremony platform. I was there, I thought I got green as I was second last day and fourth today, so maybe it is enough points for the green jersey.
“Then they told me, no, you got yellow. I was little shocked but I am happy now.”
Asked how confident he was of holding onto the race lead and emulating his former team-mate Clemens Fankhauser, who defended from early on to win the race overall last year; Postlberger said that nothing was guaranteed.
“I am [for] sure confident, but it is going to be hard work,” he said.
“We have got a strong team. We have got strong riders. We try if we can do it, we manage it. If not, it wouldn’t end [the world].”
He’ll defend his lead for the first time tomorrow.
In contrast, Reda will be travelling home and wondering about what might have been.
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