County rider Simon Ryan leads Ryan Mullen and the other Continental team and national squad men on his way to one of the best rides of his career (Photo: Paul Mohan - Sportsfile)
By Shane Stokes
He was one of the day’s first attackers to go any distance, clipping away inside the first 20 kilometres in anticipation of the battle behind.
Towards the end of yesterday’s stage 5 Simon Ryan was still up the road.
And while he drifted off the back of the break just before the finish, he still placed a fine 14th on the day.
And he won the best county rider award, finishing almost six minutes clear of the next big group.
“It was a tough course,” said the Limerick Mego RT rider, explaining how things played out and his reason for going when he did.
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Getting the coveted county rider award on the podium in Ballina yesterday (Photo: Paul Mohan - Sportsfile)
“Our team manager scouted it last night, he rode the first 30 kilometres.
"After the 15 kilometre marker when we were turning right, he told us that we were going to have a tailwind.
“I actually jumped clear there and avoided all the carnage behind. Then the lead group came up to me. There was a New Zealand guy with me as well.
“Luckily enough I had the legs to stay in the group. I was feeling good all week, but today I was lucky just to make the front split and to hang in there.
“I was riding up and overs with the pros as well, I had the legs to do that.”
Once up the road on yesterday's stage 5 Ryan, second in line, had the legs to work with the pros; a factor that kept him out of the breeze.
Ryan has already been aggressive this week and made the most of his current good form on yesterday’s fifth stage.
He had to fight back twice however; the first occasion was due to his legs, while the second was down to issues with his bike.
On both occasions he was able to do so, further underlining the quality of his ride.
“I got dropped on the second climb,” he explained.
“Just going over the top of it there were crosswinds. But I got back on – I just played it cool, used the cars.
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Enjoying fantastic family support in Tipperary on stage 2 after he had gone in the early breakaway with Bryan McCrystal and two others (Photo: George Doyle)
“I was in the cavalcade and I got back on and just tried to keep myself fresh for the finish, to follow the wheels.
“Then with about 15 kilometres to go my DI2 gears stopped working. I called up the commissaires and my team car came up.
“They tried fixing it. It started to work again and then two minutes later it wasn’t working. So I had to stop, get the spare bike and get going again.
“Luckily enough the change was fast enough and I took my time getting back up through the cars.
"And luckily enough I had the legs to stay with the pros when the jumping started.”
Ryan, in blue and red jersey, looking very comfortable in the Rás bunch on stage 3 (Photo: Ger Cusack)
Ryan’s chase back was indeed a lesson in patience. He didn’t dig in too deep, but rather used the cars to good effect, working his way back up through the cavalcade before jumping across the final gap.
He was still there in the finale, although the elastic finally snapped just before the line in Ballina.
“Just coming into the finish in the last few kilometres the legs started to burn up,” he said.
“So I was happy enough just to ride towards the line with all the pros. I was delighted.”
It's great to see what this race means to the county riders and their families (Photo: George Doyle)
Ryan’s decision to go early on the stage took courage, while staying out front all day and returning after two chases took persistence.
He said that getting onto the podium was a big motivation for him.
“It is incredible, really. I set out this year with the Rás as my goal,” he said.
“So to actually get a county rider prize…I am over the moon. That was the goal so I have achieved that now. So the rest of the week can only be a bonus.
“Skerries is a day that I would like to do well in,” he said.
“I might just save the legs for as long as I can, keep fresh and see how things go from there.”
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