Paidi O'Brien storms up the home straight to win the opening stage of Kerry Group Rás Mumhan and get a feast of Easter cycling underway in Ireland (Photo with thanks to Brendan Slattery)
By Brian Canty
Paidi O’Brien says if he is to win Rás Mumhan outright it will be more about luck and less about legs.
Today’s opening stage victor will wear the yellow jersey into tomorrow’s second stage and believes the race effectively starts now.
He holds an insignificant margin on a bunch of around 100 riders who were five seconds behind him today when his winner’s bonus is taken into account.
It was O’Brien’s sixth stage win in the race and though he’s been one of the fastest men in the country for over a decade, he admitted to being surprised after winning.
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“Obviously I’m going well enough to win a stage but I’m a small bit surprised too because I haven’t a lot done,” the Banteer man said.
“I’m in my final year of accounting in college, I think I’ve enough done. I’ve maintenance done but if I did a seven-hour week that’d be massive.
O'Brien looking relaxed before the start of the stage; he says his training has not been as busy over the winter but that seems to have done him no harm (Photo: Pat Doherty)
“There’s been some weeks where I’d get two hours on the rollers,” he added in reference to his less than perfect build-up.
On how his win came about today, he said: “Coming in for the sprint I said I’d try and get myself into a good position; I didn’t want to get tangled up in a crash.
“I’m a bit old now to be coming in with cut hips and knees so I was able to get up into the top 10.
“JLT-Condor were doing a good lead-out; they had four on the front riding hard so that stopped the bunching up.
“I was up there, there was a small push at the bridge but I said if I could turn at the bridge in the top five I’d be okay.
“I was able to get around the corner and start my sprint and it worked out well.”
Daniel Stewart of the Irish development team was aggressive and took the climbers' jersey from stage 1 for his efforts (Photo: Pat Doherty)
O’Brien is part of the Osbourne Meats-McCarthy Cycles team and he said he was particularly pleased for them.
“We’ve great backing from McCarthy Cycles and Osbourne Meats and for them this is massive, we’re not a big team and they do everything they can for us.
“When you can give it back to a sponsor it’s great; if this win can sell a few bikes for John McCarthy then I’m delighted.”
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O’Brien said he was particularly impressed by the Irish team today, with Madison Genesis man and Irish track star Martyn Irvine getting a late call-up to replace Sean Grimes.
“The Irish team were well organised and Martyn Irvine is a great asset to them,” the stage winner said.
“That’s the way youth riders should be riding, with an older fella and four or five under him.
Defending champion Mark Dowling - front and centre in blue - came home in the bunch and will look to make gains when the road goes up (Photo: Pat Doherty)
“You could see they were organised. There was never going to be a break without one of them in it. They’re all 18, 19, and 20 and really wanting it.
“Then you’ve the usual guys, Aquablue are strong, ASEA are strong, Paddy Clarke was up there again, he doesn’t miss much, Dowling isn’t going to miss much.
“Today was a bunch sprint so it’s still wide open. Tomorrow it starts from scratch again, it’s still all to play for so we just have to play it and see how it goes.”
On winning the race outright from here O’Brien was less then optimistic.
“I’d have to be lucky, it’d be luck more than ability.
“As I said, the goal was to get something out of the week, be it a mountains’ jersey or the sprints’ jersey or a stage.
Looking pretty happy in yellow at the end of an action packed opening stage that saw a lot of riders lose time (Photo: Pat Doherty)
“Now we’ve got that but realistically I don’t think it’s very possible to win.
“Definitely not from here anyway, you’d have to lose the jersey and win it back again.
“I don’t think if I even had 40 seconds advantage today I could go out and try to control it.
“I’ll go out tomorrow to try and ride the race but if I’m in the shake-up I’m in the shake-up.
“We’ll see, it’s very early. Even when Damien (Shaw) won two years ago I think he lost it on the second day and won it back.
“It’s very difficult but never say never. Hopefully I’ll be talking to you again…”
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