By Shane Stokes
Team Ireland manager Martyn Irvine was in a somewhat subdued mood following Saturday’s penultimate stage of the Rás Tailteann, with things not quite working out as he and the team had planned.
The former world champion has been a brilliant guide to various Irish teams in recent years, both at home and abroad, and things looked to be falling into place on Saturday.
Jamie Meehan and Dean Harvey rode brilliantly on the category one Wolftrap climb close to the finish, dropping all the GC contenders bar one. The Isle of Man CC rider George Kimber managed to remain with them, even if he told Stickybottle that it very much hurt to do so. He then won the stage and took over the yellow jersey.
“It was 99 per cent exactly how we wanted to go today,” Irvine said at the finish, speaking to Stickybottle under an umbrella in heavy rain. “It’s bittersweet, not getting the jersey, obviously.”
Missing the race lead by just five seconds was a blow. And, as Irvine noted, seeing the race lead go off the shoulders of talented Irish rider Odhran Doogan and not onto those of another Irishman brings a tinge of regret.
Doogan is riding the race with the Cycling Ulster team but he has been part of Team Ireland squads in the past, including at the Rás.
It would be one thing if Meehan had taken yellow from him. But with that jersey going elsewhere, Irvine’s sense of frustration was heightened.
“I’m honestly a bit mellow because we had a good young lad in the jersey,” he said. “I know Doogan well and I’m bitter sweet. It stings a bit with what happened on the road.
“Unfortunately that’s bike racing, and I think we’ve got to hold our chins up tomorrow.”
It’s scuppered our plans
Irvine’s riders have performed well this week. Meehan and Harvey have been particularly prominent, and the latter may well have been up in GC as well had he not missed the crucial move on stage two. He did so as a result of one-two racing with Meehan, with both riders covering alternate attacks.
He continued to ride strongly after that, trying to help his teammate win the race. Both strong climbers, Irvine asked them to go all out on the Wolftrap, and for the other Irish riders to pave the way for that beforehand.
“I asked them to just keep close and to work as a team into the climb, because I need the two lads to do the rest,” he explained. “So it worked our way in the road in, it stayed together. We marshalled moves coming in the road.
“Honestly, it was exactly what told the lads to do. So they did exactly what they’re asked.”
Irvine said he knew Meehan and Harvey were the best climbers in the race. Once the pieces were in place then hammered on the climb, and blew the bunch apart. Had Kimber not hung on everything would have been perfect.
“We just had one strong guy we couldn’t get rid of, and it’s scuppered our plans. It’s f**ked them up, if you want any truth. What should be a really good day feels really shit now, to be honest.”
Looking for the silver lining
Irvine is a superb tactician and will look for ways to turn things around again on Sunday’s concluding stage to Bective. Two years ago Team Ireland rider Dillon Corkery put in a brilliant final stage attack to jump from seventh to first overall, deposing race leader Conor McGoldrick by gaining over two and a half minutes.
Could history repeat itself? Meehan is a different kind of rider to Corkery, built more an uphill specialist, but with 12 other riders within a minute of himself and Kimber, anything could happen. If moves go and the race leader misses out, the race could be flipped once again.
“There’s plenty to be done tomorrow,” Irvine said. “’ll give myself a shake, and then I’ll snap out of it. It is what it is. I’m super proud with how they rode, super chuffed.”
Irvine said he had been taking things day by day with the team and would need to think about how to tackle the final stage. There is precedent, though, which will fire the riders up.
“We’ve done it a couple years ago with Dillon. So everything’s to play for. But we need some weather on our side and stuff.
“We need hard wind. Something where we can just throw the dice and see what move sticks. That sort of race. If it’s a nice, calm day, and it’s good for everyone, we are losing.”
