Tim Shoreman of
Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli on the front of the breakaway on the way to victory dring the 192km stage to Banteer (Photo: Toby Watson)By Shane Stokes
Tim Shoreman may be known as a sprinter, winning a total of three Rás stages in 2024 and 2025, but he was in the thick of the action towards the end of Thursday’s hill second stage and landed the victory in Banteer.
It was an impressive show of strength from the UK Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli rider, who beat Irish duo Willem O’Connor (Cork: O’Leary Stone Kanturk) and Conn McDunphy (USA: APS Pro Cycling) to the line.
He was, he said, not surprised to still be there after six categorised climbs.
“I am often fairly good at the end of a long day,” he told Sticky Bottle at the finish line. “But I am glad that it wasn’t much more hilly than it was.
"When we went on that final long climb and no one was really able to pull I knew that I had good legs and that I had a good chance of winning the stage because no one else seemed to be super strong.”
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Tim Shoreman claims another Rás Tailteann stage win, this time breaking Willem O'Connor's heart as the home town boy raced into Banteer (Photo: Toby Watson)
The win follows on from his stage 5 win in 2024 and his success on stages 1 and 3 last year.
“It feels amazing to win another stage of the Rás. That’s why I came here, to try to win. I wanted to win yesterday and take yellow but it didn’t end up happening. It is nice to go the next day and do that.”
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Shoreman missed out on the four man move which settled Wednesday’s opener, bringing the large chase group in 46 seconds later.
His presence in the final selection on Thursday vaulted him from fifth to second overall but Adam Lewis (USA: APS Pro Cycling), who was in Wednesday’s escape, remains ahead on GC.
Shoreman is 34 seconds back; does he think there is scope to move to the top of the leaderboard on Friday’s stage to Enniscorthy?
“I think tomorrow will be hard to take yellow. I think we will have to wait until Saturday,” he said. “But we will see. We will see how the legs are on Saturday and see what happens.
"There are two of us very close at the moment. There are two APS very close as well [Lewis and McDunphy] so they have multiple options.”
If Friday may not be hard enough to break things up, Saturday’s stage will certainly tick the box. It includes the category one climbs of Glenmalure and Wicklow Gap, which may well favour the lighter riders. That said, there is a long way to the finish after those two peaks.
Does he consider that will provide enough time to bring back any climbers who are clear?
“I don’t really know,” he answered, suggesting something of a day by day approach to the race. “I need to look at the profile, to be honest. I don’t really know that much about it.”
Yellow jersey Lewis certainly will be looking further ahead, as will O’Connor and McDunphy, who are third and fifth overall.
