Mark Dowling was away for the bulk of An Post Rás stage 2 into Lisdoonvarna today. But when the composition of the escape changed due to crashes and then got too big, it fell apart. However, the DID Dunboyne man was happy with his ride and says there's six more chances on this race to pull a result out of the bag (Photo: Pat Doherty)
By Brian Canty
Mark Dowling added his name to the list of county riders to make it into a break at this year’s An Post Rás on stage 2 today, the DID Dunboyne spending around 130 of the 159km race out front chasing that elusive stage win.
The Kerry Group Rás Mumhan winner said he felt ill at the start of the race and had intended to spend the first few days towards the back in the hope of coming around as the week progressed. But as soon as he saw a chance today he went for it.
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“Straight from the drop of the flag I was pretty much gone, I saw a chance and went for it," he explained.
"There were 14 or so of us there, we were all riding flat out initially to get the gap up. Then we had the gap up to about 40 seconds and six crashed on a left hander and that left nine of us.”
Despite his illness he said once he went clear today he decided to commit, especially considering the lumpy run in with a cat 1 climb crested just inside 10km remaining.
“I was thinking with that steep hill at the finish if I was in a break and stayed away that could have been a good chance for me but….”.
The original breakaway that Dowling was in. He's down the back - on the right with white helmet just visible - and is beside the only other two county men in the move; Ian Richardson of UCD and Sean Lacey of Aquablue (Photo: www.blackumbrella.ie)
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Of those who crashed out of that initial break, Synergy Baku and the NFTO squad lost men, meaning their team mates behind would have no reason to let the escape go.
Dowling also said the presence of four Aquablue riders in the move – Damien Shaw, Bryan McCrystal, Olan Barrett and Sean Lacey - also militated against it going further than it did.
“Once the Baku guy went down it meant they were no longer represented up front, and the NFTO crashed too, so we kind of knew we were doomed then.”
The large group that caught the original escape containing Dowling did not bridge until around 130km were covered. But it was that merging that swelled the Aquablue representation in the move to an unhealthy number as far as some of the other riders up front were concerned, said Dowling.
“That kind of ruined it,” he said of the Aquablue’s ride in getting so many up front.
“They were all flying it and it was fantastic riding by them. But as soon as the pro lads saw them in the break they stopped riding themselves and wanted the Aquablue lads to ride as a team and go on the front and drive it. But the boys were never going to do that, so it was messy and that ruined it a bit.”
Once the race regrouped up front it then split to pieces and Dowling eventually came home in the largest group on the road some 10:43 down.
“I’m happy enough, I’ll come around the next few days again,” he concluded.
“We lost a lot of time today but I was never worried about GC anyway from the start. That’s why on day one I floated around the back and tried to not use much energy. But there’s a long week there yet.”
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