Bryan McCrystal - in blue - in the breakaway on the climb out of Waterville as he collected enough climbing points to take the jersey in that contest (Photo: Morgan Treacy - Inpho)
By Brian Canty
Bryan McCrystal delivered yet another masterful display at the An Post Rás this afternoon, riding in the main break for the majority of the stage and taking enough climbers' classification points to reach the halfway point as leader of the competition.
The Louth-ASEA-Wheelworx man was in the break of seven that escaped in the first 50 kilometres and was only caught by the bunch on the last climb of the day some eight kilometres before the finish in Sneem.
That main break had Ed Laverack (JLT-Condor Cycles), Casper von Folsach (Denmark- Riwal), Nicolas Vereecken (An Post Chainreaction), Rasmus Mygind (Denmark Riwal Platform), Anthony Walsh (Aquablue) and Ike Groen (Join –S De Rijke) present.
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But Walsh punctured out and Von Folsach and Groen would later be dropped, though the latter because of a crash on the descent of the penultimate climb of Coomakista.
McCrystal said he hadn’t targeted the jersey this morning but in his own words: “I wasn’t going to look a gifthorse in the mouth when we got away”.
“When we went over the category one (Ballaghisheen Pass) I went for it because you never really know what can happen.
“I crested it second (behind Von Folsach) and I probably should have crested it first but I couldn’t get it into the big ring.
“I went for the other climbs and on the next one the Dutch guy cut me off; he nearly put me into the wall. That was bad form but the comms saw it.”
McCrystal in the climbers' jersey on the podium at stage end in Sneem. The Louth man is having a brilliant Rás.
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McCrystal was first over Coomakista - the penultimate climb - and that was enough to see him tally 29 points for the week so far, eight clear of Niko Holler of Germany Bike Aid.
“It was good to get it and great for the team because it keeps the county man well-represented, along with (Eoin) Morton (Monday’s stage winner), (Mark) Dowling (best county rider two days in-a-row) and (Ian) Richardson (best county rider overall).
“I was feeling good today. I’m very happy the way the legs have come around.
“I knew my legs were coming good and I was in a couple of moves that should have stuck early on today but there were threats on GC in there so moves were brought back.
“I kept going, stayed at the front, kept persevering and it worked out.”
Though the seven breakaway men managed a gap of almost three minutes at one point, McCrystal never felt they could challenge for the stage between them.
“No, not the way we were riding. There were two Dutch lads there.
“Even the An Post Chain Reaction rider didn’t invest enough in his legs. He probably wanted a sprint.
“Ed Laverack (JLT-Condor Cycles) was probably the only honest lad there. The bunch came at us hard on the last category three and I dug in to stay in the group and do a leadout for Dowling.
“He was sixth on the stage and best county man so we’re going rightly now.”
Asked if he could hold the KOM jersey, McCrystal replied;
“I don’t think so, I’ll have a look but I’m realistic. There’s lot of racing to be done but we’ll have a chat and see. I can’t see it to be honest.”
One of the biggest guys in the race leads the classification supposed to be for the skinny guys then? “I know, It’s hilarious isn’t it?”
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