Kurt Bogaerts says while stage wins are An Post-Chainreaction's main priority for now on the Rás, the general classification remains in the background.
By Shane Stokes
An Post Chainreaction Sean Kelly manager Kurt Bogaerts has said that his team will continue to chase stages in the An Post Rás and that he hopes that the general classification will pan out well for his riders.
The Belgian was both motivated and satisfied by how his team handled the first stage of the race, describing the one two by Robert Jon McCarthy and Shane Archbold as essentially the perfect start.
“I couldn’t imagine that it could start better than today,” he told stickybottle shortly after the stage.
“It was the perfect race by the team. There was a big breakaway with about ten riders in it with [Sean] Downey, who took some bonifications there. It took the pressure off the guys and they could stay fresh for the final sprint.
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“Then it was the perfect plan, how we talked about it with the lead-out of Shane [Archbold]… I think it is difficult to beat like that.”
The team put Sean Downey in the day’s big break and there the Irishman showed that he is in good shape. He was second behind Fraser Duncan (Meath Dunboyne DID) in both the Post Office/Hot Spot sprint in Coole (km 76.5) and also atop the day’s sole climb, the category three ascent of Richmount (km 106.1).
He was also second in the Post Office/Hot Spot sprint at Ballymahon (km 114), netting a total of four bonus seconds. Although that move was reeled in inside the final five kilometres, the time gained meant that Downey ended the day fourth overall, six seconds off yellow.
Bogaerts had been tight-lipped before about who the team’s GC riders would be, but accepted that Downey is one of those who could be best suited to aim for the general classification.
“I have a couple of guys who can play it out in the end and Downey…yeah, he can climb,” he said.
“He shows good strength all year. Today he rode perfectly. It is a group that you need to be in today. It didn’t work out in the end, but it is this type of group that could ride away and make the GC.
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“I think going for stages is one of our goals that we know we can do. GC, we will keep it in mind and we race clever. I think that is what we need to try to do this week. Keep the numbers up. I think we definitely won’t put it out of our mind.
"It is not our main goal but how they raced today, following the groups and staying out of energy loss, that will be important, I think, later in the week.”
In the video interview Bogaerts talks about these topics, discusses stage 1 winner Robert Jon McCarthy and gives his assessment of his strengths and where he can improve in the years ahead.
He was speaking before stage 2 yesterday, Monday, in which the team lost the yellow jersey to New Zealand's Patrick Bevin who leads the race by 1:55 from Austrian Clemens Fankhauser.
The best placed of the An Post-Chainreation riders starting stage 3 today was Owain Doull who is 8th and 2:07 adrift, with Downey next best of the squad in 23rd at 2:53.
However, with six stages to go and given the unique characteristics of the race, with its famed all out aggression and just five men on each team, there is plenty of scope for the standings to be completely rearranged.
Kurt Bogaerts speaks to Shane Stokes at the end of stage 1
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