Video: Drone captures Rás peloton lined out chasing breakaway
It's an awfully long way from the front of this lined out peloton to the back. The Rás is not for the feint hearted and this clip proves it!
The Rás route this year is a humdinger; one half of flatter faster stages followed by the hilly stuff in the back end of the week.
Race and route directors Tony Campbell and Stephen O'Sullivan have picked a really interesting parcours for the 2017 edition.
- Video Highlights: Fast and furious stage 2 An Post Rás into Newport
- An Post Rás stage 2 results in full; Longford – Newport 143km
- Van Schip wins as Irish club riders break into Rás top 10
Today's stage took the riders from Longford to Newport; some 146km run-off at breakneck speeds.
One of the iron men of Rásanna past, Barry Monaghan, knows a thing or two about hard racing and even he has been wincing at the speeds.
"Average speed today for stage 2 was 27.5mph for 88 miles! Handy enough," he commented on the race this afternoon, where he is managing the Down team.
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Videographer Tony FitzGerald had a different perspective on the speed; from his drone in the skies above.
And he shot this clip as the peloton flew threw Westport chasing the late breakaway.
That move featured, amongst others, Irish riders Damien Shaw (An Post-Chainreaction) and Mark Dowling (Strata 3-VeloRevolution).
They were caught, but one of their number - Jan Willem Van Schip (Delta Cycling Rotterdam) - took flight to win solo.
His holding off the main field for about 5km solo and winning by 7 seconds is put into perspective when one sees the bunch strung out like this.
It's a very long from the front to the back, and it would have gotten even longer on the open road after the town.
Terrific clip by Tony FitzGerald
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