Video: Top Rás county rider 100kph chase behind team car
Richard Maes in a frantic 100kmph chase to get back into the peloton on the final stage of the An Post Rás. It was all captured on video from inside the team car.
By Brian Canty
Richard Maes was one of the standout Irish riders of the week at the An Post Rás. He took two brilliant top 10 finishes on stages.
He had been targeting yesterday’s final stage into Skerries all week and the good legs he had on Saturday gave him the belief he could challenge for it.
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But he was dealt a cruel blow mid-stage when he punctured at the worst possible time, the category two climb of Bellewstown after 61 kilometres.
At that stage, the race was really breaking apart with bodies being shelled out the back. And anyone would have forgiven Maes if he decided to take the easy option and roll home with a group.
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But he pulled himself together after getting a spare wheel and went in pursuit of the yellow jersey group.
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He got some brief help from the Killarney CC team car, which is allowed after a mishap, at some pretty outrageous speeds.
The video below shows him trying to get back on. And the commentary from the lads driving tells us he was not hanging about.
Alas, it was not to be for Maes who missed the key split as the stage progressed.
He rolled home 10 minutes down, unable to show what he can do in the gallop for a third time this week.
“I was so pissed off after it. I dug so deep on that climb to hang on and that’s where the split happened,” he said of the puncture.
“It was actually my highest five-minute power of the week trying to get over that climb.
“And when I got back into the group the split was gone. Obviously I was hoping for a bunch sprint.”
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