Owain Doull of An Post-Chainreaction (right) at the head of the Rás yesterday with Italian Alessandro Pettiti; they were overhauled but Doull is going well and says his team are far from out of the hunt for yellow (Photo: Ramsey Cardy - Sportsfile)
By Shane Stokes
An Post Chainreaction rider Owain Doull was one of those who put race leader Patrick Bevin under pressure on yesterday’s fourth stage of the An Post Rás. Having started two minutes and seven seconds back in eighth place overall and, at one point on the road he reduced his deficit to just seven seconds.
Doull and third placed Alessandro Pettiti (Italy Team Idea 2010 ASD) were the best placed riders in the move, with the Italian third overall before the stage.
The Italian became race leader on the road when he recouped all of his one minute 55 second advantage.
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And while Bevin and his New Zealand team managed to cut that gap, reducing the danger, Pettiti and Doull sought to ratchet up the pressure when they pushed on together over the top of the first category Coomanaspic.
“It was obviously a hard stage,” Doull told stickybottle in a video interview conducted shortly after the podium ceremony.
“I was keen to get up the road and to take advantage of not being too high up in the general. I got in the break and over the first cat I managed to get away from the rest of the break with the Italian guy.
“Unfortunately we got caught with about seven kilometres to go, then I just tried to get up there for the sprint.”
Doull had a moment of panic when he ran wide and went off the road. It could have been a disaster, but he was able to keep the bike upright and then to get back up to Pettiti.
“It was onto the seafront. It was quite a sharp right and there was just no indication it was coming up,” he said.
“So I had nowhere to go. The Italian guy managed to just about get around it, but I had to go straight and do a U turn, which was a bit frustrating.”
The duo continued on but behind Bevin was putting in a storming ride, scything through the various groups and then rejoining with the leaders inside the final five kilometres.
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Doull believes Ireland's Sean Downey (above) is not too far to be out of the hunt for a strong final placing overall on this race (Photo: www.blackumbrella.ie)
Doull may be determined to try to take yellow in the stages ahead, but he had little problem in acknowledging what he saw.
“I was really impressed. I wasn’t too sure what was going on behind,” he said.
“I didn’t have any time checks or groups or anything like that. When I saw he was there, I knew he would be up there. But to take the win as well is pretty impressive.”
In the video interview the Briton speaks about the stage, gives his thoughts about the An Post Chainreaction team, evaluates how this year’s An Post Rás compares to last year’s edition and also talks about his goals for the remaining four stages.
He remains ambitious about the second half of the race.
“Obviously Bevin has got quite a lead, but I’m not too far off. Sean Downey is not too far off. We have got cards to play and I am looking forward to some hard stages to come.”
Owain Doull speaks to Shane Stokes
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