Matteo Cigala enjoyed an excellent week at the An Post Rás, featuring in plenty moves off the front and taking the final county rider prize on offer yesterday in Skerries. He said the final stage suits his characteristics and he aims to be back next year with the intention of improving his result (Photo: Brendan Slattery)
By Brian Canty
Aquablue’s Matteo Cigala won the best county rider prize on the concluding stage of the An Post Rás yesterday, the former Italian junior international taking a fine ninth on the sprint in Skerries.
The 22 year-old had a superb week for the Cork-based team, regularly featuring in breakaways and in the front group on several days.
A big crash robbed him of an opportunity to sprint for the win on the opening stage but he gathered himself admirably in the days that followed.
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“Yesterday I did a sprint on the last turn because I wanted to be well positioned," he said.
“But after that sprint it’s always difficult to do a second sprint especially if you’re not professional and not racing at a high level consistently.
While he enjoyed the race and rode well, Cigala was hit with a few untimely mechanicals towards the back end of the race (Photo: Sean Rowe)
"This is the only big stage race I’ve done in four years so I did that last sprint and just kept the position all the way to the finish.
“I was happy enough, I got first county rider, it was a good experience.
“Irish county riders never really have a chance to do a lot of sprinting in Sunday races because we always arrive in a breakaway.
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"Or there are a few guys away so it’s difficult for us to get a bunch sprint like yesterday.”
Cigala said it was the first bunch sprint he contested for five years and he was willing to take the risks, given what was at stake.
“It was a nice experience and good to be back; it was a very, very risky sprint but I said ‘we are in Skerries on the last stage’.
The former Italian international turned Irish Rás county rider said he was delighted to see his name painted on the road and was determined to show himself at the finish.
“A lot of people came to see me and my name was written on the climb so I said ‘I don’t care about the risk today’. I just tried to do well for myself and for the team and the family of my girlfriend.
“Next year I hope to do more than a ninth place, it’s a very good stage for me and it suits me and hopefully next year I can get a very good result.”
On the race as a whole, Cigala reflected: “I was always in the break or out in front but the last two days (Friday and Saturday) I had mechanicals.
“I broke a chain on Mount Leinster and the day before (Friday) I had to change wheels and stuff like this, but the other days I was always up the front, I am happy.
“The Rás is more suitable for the type of rider I am. I used to be at that level and do those types of races; being in around the peloton, staying up the front, avoiding crashes, seeing the race.
“It’s easier than a Sunday race in Bohermeen or Navan or Newbridge where after the start there is a break and then another break and it’s all attacks from first to last kilometre.
"This type of racing suits me more and I really enjoyed it.”
Cigala plans to keep racing up until the national championships next month.
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